The Result
by AssassinedAngel
Summary: Tohru has a problem that requires her to get pregnant now. She chose Yuki to be the father of her child. Now that that problem is out of the way she's on for the roller coaster ride of bearing a child as a woman only sixteen years old. Yukiru
1. Week 1

The Result: A gift to you readers since it's my Fanfic anniversary! 

Tohru held pregnancy test in her hands tightly. She shook as she forced herself to open her eyes and look at the results. Her body quivered as tears formed in her eyes rereading the word "pregnant" in small font at the edge of the test. Tohru bit her lip nervously as she gazed up at the teenage man beside her. He smiled at her and gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. 

This was what she wanted right? She beamed back at him brightly. It all started a week ago….

As a regular check up Tohru was going to see her gynecologist as she usually did once a month. There were just some things Hatori wasn't exactly experienced in. Not once did she suspect what her doctor was going to tell her. Yes, her cramps had been a little worse these past couple of months… but no young girl would ever want to hear what she did last week. The words were still burned fresh into her mind. 

"_Tohru, I'm not sure how to tell you this, considering how young you are. So I'll just say it as it is… If you don't get pregnant now, you might lose your chance of ever giving birth to a child of your own…" _

"_Wha- what did you just say?"_

"_I'm sorry… You see, I had a little test and the results are telling me that your child bearing years are coming to an end real soon. I can't say for sure what caused your ovaries to have so few eggs exactly. Most woman have more eggs than they'll ever use but in your case it's the opposite. I am positive that real soon, even maybe before the end of next month you won't have any eggs left…"_

"…_So what do you suggest I do?"_

"_Do you want a child?"_

_Tohru nodded meekly, every girl dreamed their dream wedding and then having a child or two in a year but she was sixteen, she hadn't even considered having sex at this age. She clutched the edge of the seat fearfully afraid about what she was in to hear next. Her eyes were focused on the corner of the counter in the doctor's office unable to look her gynecologist in the eye at the moment. _

"_I don't want to tell you to get pregnant right now, at this age you might be unprepared. Of course there are other options you can go through in the future. But if you want the child to be yours truly…" She left the sentence hanging._

_Tohru knew exactly what she was going to say anyways. She stared blankly back at her. What was she going to do? She couldn't possibly have a child and drop out of school. Mom wouldn't like that… But if she didn't… What about her child that would never get to see the world? And what about her chance to be a mother? _

"_I think… I would like to have my child…"_

_The woman nodded looking at Tohru seriously. _

"_Do you have a boyfriend?" _

"_Eh?"_

"_A boyfriend, any friend of the opposite gender you may consider being the father to your child?" _

_She blushed vividly. There was Yuki… and then there was Kyo… Would either of them want to help her in this desperate situation? But Kyo had left for the mountains to train with Shishou. That left Yuki… The prince… If he did agree to it, there'd be problems if any of his fan club members found out. Tohru had no idea how she would ever bring it up. It didn't help at all how shy and easily embarrassed she was. _

"_Honda-san… Did you hear me?"_

"_Ye-yes…" _

"_Do you have anyone picked out in particular…?" _

"_No… Not exactly… I'm a little scared…" _

"_I understand… Why don't you talk this over with your family and see what they think?" the woman suggested. _

_Tohru nodded, not sure what else to say or do. Quickly she walked out of the office and out the doors. She needed fresh air right now. Something… Anything to clear her mind… Slowly she dropped down on a bench, looking at nothing, deep in thought. Her eyes closed, she prayed silent asking someone to wake her up from this nightmare, anyone would do. All she wanted was for someone to tell her that what the doctor had said was false, that there was nothing wrong with her body. But no one told her that, she was stuck in the nightmare hoping that maybe it could end as a happy dream. _

"Honda-san?" 

She snapped back into reality finding Yuki standing in front of her with worried eyes. Tohru forced a smile onto her face, but his eyes saw straight through. Her smiled slowly lowered in a frown, she looked away from him. He took a seat next to her.

"What's the matter Honda-san? Did something happen to you?" 

"No-no…. Nothing at all… I'm fine…" 

Yuki didn't look convinced but he remained silent. Maybe, it was better to let her tell him when she was ready. It would do no good to force her to say anything. He decided to just be there when she needed someone to talk to later on. Abruptly he stood up. For half a second Tohru thought he was going to leave her there alone until she saw his hand in front of her face. She peered up at his face, dumbstruck. 

"Come on… You don't have to tell me… But we shouldn't stay out here too long… Summer is ending it's starting to get rather cold this late. Let's go back, nn Honda-san?" Yuki offered her his hand. 

Shyly she placed her hand in his and let him pull her up. He gave her a warm smile, the one he seemed to save only for her. She stood up and followed him back to the house. Tohru walked beside him, but her mind was somewhere else. Yuki glanced at her dazed look wondering what happened. 

"Honda-san, you know you can tell me anything, right?" 

Tohru looked up at his face and let a single tear roll down her cheek. She couldn't keep her emotions locked inside anymore, her insides felt about ready to burst open. 

"Honda-san, are you okay?" Yuki asked in a concerned voice. 

Tohru turned up facing him with watery eyes. Weakly she buried her face into his shoulder sobbing. Yuki stood there, not sure what to do. Awkwardly he wrapped his arms around her thin frame, trying his best not to hug her. He muttered soothing words to her trying to comfort the weeping girl. Yuki paused letting her quiet down and start to breathe slower and more calmly. 

"I'm- I'm so-sorry Yuki-kun… I go-got your shirt all wet… I'm so sorry…" Tohru choked out pulling away from him. 

"Tohru- Honda-san… What's wrong?" Yuki quickly corrected himself.

"You called me Tohru…" Tohru whispered looking up at him. 

"I'm sorry... It just slipped out…" Yuki muttered apologetically. 

"No… I like that… Please keep calling me Tohru," Tohru murmured looking up at him with a bright smiling face. 

Yuki decided not to ask anymore for now, he pulled away; facing her. He grasped her hand in his again keeping a comforting grip around her fingers. Tohru moved her gaze up to his face questioningly. He just smiled hoping he could support her through whatever was bothering her. 

"Come on… Let's go home… You don't have to tell me what's bothering you for now… But don't think I'm going to forget about this. I hate to see you cry, you know that?" Yuki told her with a caring smile. 

She nodded; no words would come out of her mouth. His fingers were locked tightly around her hand, giving her reassurance. With him beside her she got the feeling that everything was going to be alright. Hesitantly she rested her head on his shoulder needing to feel that reassurance more. He kept her as close as possible wanting to be here to support her no matter what. 

They arrived home shortly to be greeted by an over energetic Shigure. He bounced around them teasing them for coming home together hand in hand. This made Tohru turn beet red and cower inside her bedroom. A few minutes later Yuki could hear soft crying coming from her bedroom. She had obviously not gotten over what made her cry earlier. Yuki glared at Shigure punching him in the gut for making her hide in her room. After justice was served he climbed the stairs to her room pausing for a second before knocking on her door. 

"Honda-san… Can I come in?" Yuki called gently. 

"…Could you please go away…" Tohru's muffled response pained him.

Despite her wishes Yuki turned the door knob, glad to find it unlocked. He stepped into the somber room. All the curtains were drawn shut and the light was turned off hiding its usual brightness. Yuki stepped inside walking over to her bed he sat on her bed. He looked at her laying stomach down on her bed crying softly. 

"Are you okay Honda-san? You should ignore Shigure… All he says is nonsense… Don't worry about it…" He tried to sooth her even though he clearly knew that Shigure's teasing was not what caused her tears. 

Tohru stuffed her face deeper into her pillow trying to keep her problem from reaching his ears. Her orders for him to leave were muffled by the white feathery mass. Sometimes she wished he wasn't so nice or caring, sometimes she wished he was more like Shigure so he would leave her alone and not bother with how she felt for a few hours. That was just her selfish side though, in the end she realized she loved him for the way he was, she adored how sweet he was to her, she treasured his consideration but why would the most popular gorgeous guy ever like her? She was Tohru Honda the ugly witch who couldn't even provide him with a child in the future. There was no way he would ever like her, she should have been grateful for his friendship, she should have but she wasn't; Tohru was greedy. 

"What did you say Honda-san- I mean Tohru… I couldn't understand you…" Yuki muttered using her first name to try and give her at least something she wanted. 

Hearing him use her first name Tohru couldn't help but turn on her side and stare up at him. His worry only grew when he saw how red and puffy her eyes were from crying. Reaching forward with one of his hands he grazed one of her cheeks with the back of his hand wiping away a tear. Tohru blinked not realizing how much of her hurt showed on her face. She did, however, realize that her embarrassment was showing, she could feel the blood rush to her cheeks from his touch. 

"Honda- Tohru, do you have a fever?" Yuki asked noticing how red and warm her face was. 

She shook her head, "No… I'm fine…" 

"Are you sure? Maybe I should go get you some medicine…" Yuki offered getting off of her bed. Making his way to the door he slipped on the edge of her blanket falling backwards and landing on his bottom on her floor. He laid there for a second staring up at her with a sheepish smile getting a soft laugh from Tohru. Realizing she was laughing at someone who had just gotten hurt she gasped and stood up abruptly to see if he was okay only to find herself sprawled out beside him. She burst out giggling madly for the first time today. 

"You know, you look a lot cuter with a smile across your face," Yuki breathed brushing her face with his fingertips. 

"… Ah! I have to go get dinner ready!" Tohru shrieked jumping up and running downstairs before Yuki could see her red face. 

Yuki sat there dumbfounded for a minute before sighing and standing up. He gathered her blanket up from the floor and did his best to set it neatly back on her bed. As he made his way to the door he accidentally knocked over a folder set on her desk. The papers scattered over the floor in a mess. Groaning he bent over to pick them up, they were papers from a doctor's appointment. His curiosity got the best of him his eyes scanning the report widening with every word he read. 

"…Yuki-kun! Dinner is ready!" Tohru hollered from downstairs. 

Quickly he grabbed the rest of the sheets stuffing them back in the folder replying, "I'm coming!"

He took one last look at her room with disbelief before shutting the door and heading downstairs. Throughout dinner he was quieter than usual trying to figure out Tohru's situation. Tohru watched him for the first half, seeing him pick at his food her concern started to grow. Shigure eyed the both of them with a mischievous smile.

"Yuki-kun, are you feeling okay?" Tohru faced him with a frown.

"Oh don't worry about Yuki! Tohru you have your own problems to worry about… Like who's gonna be the father of your only child…" Shigure said nonchalantly. 

Tohru gasped her eyes growing large before she bound up the stairs leaving her dinner plate half full. Yuki stood up shooting Shigure a death glare before racing up the steps after her. Shigure folded his hands together satisfactorily starting to like the role of matchmaker. Earlier he had received a phone call from her doctor explaining her whole situation to him since he was her guardian. He had decided to take advantage of this and have a little fun. 

Yuki stood before her door not sure if he should enter. He wanted to comfort her but how could she calm her down when he offered no solution to her? After hearing a half a second's worth of her tears he decided to go in anyways. Tohru sat on the corner of her bed, her arms wrapped around her knees sobbing bitterly. 

"Tohru… I'm sorry… I know about your situation too…" he admitted taking a seat beside her and gingerly stroking her back.

"…" She was completely speechless, tears stinging her eyes. 

"…If you don't mind and if you really want to have a child… I can be the father… If you want that is…" Yuki whispered to her.

"…Yo-you would really do that for me?" She choked out.

He nodded smiling and clutching her hand in his. No matter what problems she faced as long as she allowed it, he'd do all in his power to help her. If she needed a man to help her get pregnant then so be it. Yuki didn't mind losing his virginity to a girl he loved and wanted to help. Tohru's eyes filled with water again; there was nothing more she could ask of him. This was more than enough, she didn't deserve this, she didn't but she wanted it. And so here started to journey of teenage pregnancy. 


	2. Week 2

Dedicated to The Onigiri and Nezumi

Week 2-

Yuki stood beside Tohru who was hunched over the sink in the bathroom puking. She had been at it for more then half an hour already. It was starting, this so called morning sickness that tore at her insides. Tohru couldn't keep down anything she tried to eat for breakfast, the remains of last nights dinners were out of her system as well. He stroked her back worriedly wondering if they had made the right decision. Seeing her miserable like this he could only think that she wasn't ready to get pregnant, she was too young to be going through this. 

"I'm sorry Yuki-kun… You really don't have to see this…" Tohru whispered looking up at him weakly. Her hair was bunched up framing her face loosely giving her the image of a sickly person. If she was aware of how she looked at the moment she would never have let him into the bathroom. This only made his concern for her sake double at the least. 

"Tohru…" He started taking her chin in his hand and tilting her face upwards until she was gazing directly into his eyes before continuing, "I told you once but I'll tell you again… I'll stay with you through the pregnancy up to and even after you have the baby… So please don't apologize anymore and please don't push me away. I want to do this because I lo-." 

Her eyes widened momentarily her ears craving to hear the rest of what he had to say. On the other hand her stomach disagreed; she jerked her face away from his hands and turned her attention back to the sink, her stomach won, every last bit of her breakfast coming out all over again. She glanced back at him anxious for him to continue. He stared back at her, his whole expression had changed, forgetting about his almost confession until she reminded him. 

"What were you saying?" She breathed. Tohru would have begged him to go on if she didn't feel so weak. She could have sworn she was hearing him about to say he loved her but then again she could have been hearing what she wanted or maybe he was going to say something like he loathed her. That would be simply terrible if that's what he was going to say! There were so many reasons he could hate her for, she took away his virginity... His childhood, his time… The list continued in her mind going on for what seemed like eternity. This made her freak out; him hating her was the last thing she wanted. 

"Ah… Nothing…. Just that I care about you…" Yuki replied with a half smile mentally kicking himself for backing out. He wanted to tell her how he felt, he wanted her to know but it just never seemed like the right moment. It almost seemed pointless to say if they already made love but she probably thought it was loveless. Most of all he wanted to know how she felt about him; she had to have some feelings for him, right? She was okay with him being the father of her child, wasn't she? He wondered if she had the choice would she have rather had Kyo home to be the father of her child over him.

"…Oh… I see…. Thank you Yuki-kun…" Tohru whispered a bit disappointed with his response. She partially blamed herself for even expecting him to tell her he loved her. He was the prince, of course he cared about everyone, there was no chance he cared for her any differently. They were just friends, friends that slept together, but still just friends, nothing more. Or so she believed, he might have gathered his courage and explained to her properly if it wasn't for Shigure who barged in. 

"Now, now Yuki… You already deflowered our flower. Please don't take advantage of your situation!" Shigure scolded enjoying the numerous chances he'd get with teasing the two of them in this situation. He was the only other person besides Yuki, Tohru and her doctor that knew about this case at the moment. 

"Shut it…" Yuki muttered feeling compelled to smack Shigure until he died or was unconscious at the least. That dog always got in the way of everything. Couldn't the man act mature for a minute and let him talk to Tohru alone? Was that too much to ask for?

Shigure chuckled standing there with a mischief smile. Tohru would have been flustered and denying what Shigure said if it wasn't for the urge to throw up again. She clutched the edge of the sink, the sickening sound and smell of vomit filling the room again. Shigure's face turned a pale shade of green, his smile fading to a straight line. Yuki slammed the door in his face turning his attention back to Tohru who looked finished with puking for the day. She was reaching for her tooth brush wanting to get the foul taste out of her mouth. 

She looked up at him with a weak smile as she tried to fill up her cup with water. Her legs shook causing her to almost fall over, and she would have if it wasn't for Yuki standing behind her. He caught her easily but she hit his chest. There was a puff of smoke and on the floor covered in a pile of clothes was a small grey rat. Yuki, the rat crawled out of the pile with much effort. Tohru blinked looking down at him apologetically. He shook his head wondering how she had managed to accidentally bump into his chest now and not when they had sex. It was an extremely difficult task not to hug one another though. 

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Tohru apologized bowing her head to the rat.

Yuki shook his head clearing his head of the thoughts of that night. Lucky for him his blush didn't show over his grey fur. He glanced up at her about to tell her not to worry about it when another cloud of smoke filled the air and he transformed back. Tohru shrieked whirling around covering her eyes even though they had already slept together. He dressed quickly telling her she could turn around when he finished. She peered up at him with a queasy look across her face. Tohru hurried back to the sink vomiting once again. Every last bit came out, her stomach completely empty now. 

"Are you okay Tohru?" He asked her worriedly.

"Yeah… I think I'm done throwing up… Sorry Yuki-kun…" 

"Are you sure? Do you want me to call Hatori? He might have something that'll make you feel better," Yuki offered. Hatori was a doctor after all; the Sohmas' doctor but he treated Tohru as family nonetheless. 

"No!"

Yuki stared at her in complete shock by her firm refusal. Her expression softened as she continued, "I didn't mean it like that Yuki-kun… It was nice of you to offer but I don't want to tell anyone yet… I'm not ready Yuki-kun… So please don't tell anyone…" 

He nodded understanding how she felt a little. If he was her he wouldn't want the world to know about her pregnancy either. They would all find out eventually though most likely starting with Hatori. He was the doctor; he had to at least be able to recognize the symptoms of pregnancy. Looking back, Yuki wished they had thought this through more. There was no way they could keep this hidden from the school and he could already imagine his older brother's reaction and his never ending babbling. 

"Don't worry about it… I won't tell a soul. But that dog is another story… I'll try to keep him from telling the world as best as I can…" Yuki reassured her. 

"Thank you…" Tohru whispered gratefully. 

"So do you feel alright? Do you want me to help you back to your room so you can rest?" Yuki suggested. This morning sickness seemed to scare him more then her. 

"I'm fine Yuki… I really am… You don't have to worry about me!" She tried to convince him as she spread toothpaste onto her toothbrush. She stuck the pink plastic brush into her mouth brushing her vomit coated teeth and mouth to keep them from decaying too badly. Yuki watched her for a minute before nodding and leaving the room to give her some privacy. 

He stopped outside the bathroom instantly slumping down against the wall. Yuki rested his face on top of his knees lost at what to do. There didn't seem to be anything he could do to help Tohru, he felt helpless even though he was basically the cause of the problem and her pain. She did want to be pregnant he had to admit but he still felt extremely guilty. He couldn't even begin to imagine how the rest of his family would react, or even the school. They'd both be dead, her friends would murder him and his fan club would kill her. _That filled him to the brim with confidence_. 

"Yuki…" 

Yuki glanced up finding Shigure looking down at him. Groaning he immediately looked back down obviously not in the mood to deal with Shigure. Shigure for once was completely serious without a wry smile on his face. He stood in front of Yuki quiet for a second before starting to speak, "You know you can't blame yourself for this. It's a part of pregnancy. Keep in mind she wanted to do this."

"I know… I know but I can't change how I feel. Seeing her throwing up like that, it's just hard not to feel at fault here. I'm not the one in pain… Who else can I blame?" Yuki replied. 

"You don't have to blame anyone. There's nothing wrong with the situation… Okay that's a lie… It's wrong and complicated… Who would expect prince Yuki isn't a virgin anymore? Ooh… I can just picture how everyone would react!" Shigure sang in a singsong voice his tone completely reverting back to its normal state. 

"Oh just shut up and leave me alone…." Yuki muttered cursing himself for actually believing Shigure had something to say that was worth listening to. 

"Eh?"

He looked up staring up at wide brown eyes that looked saddened by his words. Shigure was nowhere in sight anymore and Tohru appeared as if she thought he had meant for that to be directed at her. Yuki stood up with a pained expression hoping she hadn't taken that to heart even though it clearly showed she did. He swore he was going to kill Shigure later if he did this on purpose. Clearing this up was going to be interesting, he wasn't sure how to start an apology for a misunderstanding. 

"Ah… Honda-san that was for Shigure… Not you! Don't shut up… Don't leave me alone… I don't know what I'm saying now… I'm just sorry…" Yuki told her looking up with honest eyes. 

Tohru smiled with a look a relief and nodded only understanding a bit of what he said. She wondered how he could have been speaking to Shigure if Shigure was not over here. As if he was reading her mind he added, "Shigure walked away or whatever… He probably did this for his own amusement…" 

"It's okay Yuki-kun… I'm just glad you don't hate me!" Tohru admitted beaming brightly.

"I couldn't hate you even if I tried," Yuki confessed.


	3. Week 3

Week 3-

Tohru groaned staring at the clock, it was four a.m. yet she couldn't manage to go back to sleep. She didn't know what the insomnia was from, though the pregnancy was her first guess; the other was her dread of going to school. Summer break had finally come to a close last night, and today, she would be going back to school pregnant. She had no idea what she was going to say to Uo and Hana. There was no way she could keep something this big from them, yet in these couple of weeks she hadn't even attempted to make contact with them to explain her situation. 

She sat up on her bed, giving up on going back to sleep. For a minute, she sat there trying to think of a way to tell her friends without getting them mad at Yuki and without letting anyone else overhear. Tohru needed a good plan. Uo was one who easily yelled, and the last thing she wanted in this situation was for Uo to shout that she was pregnant. Maybe telling Hana first was her best choice. Sighing, she stood up, exited her room, and started walking over to the kitchen for a drink. Passing Yuki's bedroom, she froze, feeling the need to talk to him. 

Hesitantly, she maneuvered to his door, quietly pushing on his door. Finding it unlocked, she peeked in rather timidly, not sure what to expect. Inside the dark room, she could vaguely make out dirty clothes scattered on the floor along with a few books. In the back of the room, half on the bed, and partially covered by the thin blanket was Yuki, who was snoring softly. Her legs moved on their own, walking until they sat themselves on the corner of Yuki's bed. Tohru stared at the sleeping figure for a minute before lying down on his bed. She stuck her hand out shaking his shoulder, still not sure what she was doing, but she wanted him to talk to her, to have him comfort her.

"Yuki-kun?" Tohru breathed.

Yuki stirred, finally opening his eyes half way after she called his name a second time. He gazed at her for a minute, not fully awake yet. It took him a while before he responded, continuing to peer into her eyes he muttered, "Tohru? What are you doing here? What time is it?" 

"Sorry Yuki-kun… I couldn't sleep… I'm sorry I woke you up…" Tohru whispered, remembering that he had been fast asleep a couple of minutes ago. 

He blinked, slowly starting to register what was going on. This was the first time she had ever entered his room in the middle of the night. She avoided going into their rooms most of the time, wanting to respect their privacy. Her lying on his bed caught him off guard; he still didn't fully understand what was going on. Tohru appeared full of anxiety though, even in the dark he could see the dark rings under her eyes from lack of sleep. Flipping onto his side so he was facing her directly, Yuki stroked her hair, gazing at her face before glancing at the clock on his nightstand. 

"What's wrong Tohru? Is the baby bothering you?" Yuki asked worriedly.

"No… I'm just worried about going to school today…" Tohru admitted almost shyly. 

"Don't be… It's too early for you to be this concerned," Yuki mumbled, growing sleepy again.

Tohru looked at him, feeling a little less worked up. Calming down, she began to notice how tired she was. Yawning, she started to feel guilty for even disturbing Yuki who had already done more than enough for her. He rolled onto his stomach draping his arm around her neck telling her, "Just go back to sleep…"

With that, he fell back to sleep, holding her onto his bed without actually hugging her. Her eyes enlarged from shock, he had just told her to go back to sleep, but he kept her from going back to her own room to sleep. She sighed, not sure what to do. Her mind knew that she couldn't sleep in the same room, let alone the same bed, as a guy, but her eyes wouldn't stay open for a second longer. Tohru let them close, resisting trying to keep them open any longer. She moved closer to him, snuggling against him, subconsciously smiling, and slipping her legs under his blanket. 

It wasn't until four hours later did the two of them wake up in a frenzy. School would start soon. They had both slept passed Yuki's alarm, or maybe his alarm broke from yesterday morning's beating for waking him up. He stared at the clock in disbelief before shaking Tohru awake. She slowly opened her eyes, giving him an odd look like she didn't remember coming in here. The truth was he didn't even know why she was in his room, but he did know that if they didn't leave now, they'd be late for their first class. 

"…Yuki-kun? Where am I?" she asked in a delicate quiet voice as she rubbed her eyes. 

"In my room… Though I'm not quite sure why yet…" Yuki replied as he got out of the bed, making his way over to his closet for his school uniform. 

She glanced over at the clock before squeaking and darting out of his room to let him change and for her to change herself. Both of them changed quicker than ever, pulling on each piece of clothing rashly, not caring how they looked at the moment. Yuki didn't even bother putting his tie on, letting the top of his white top hang open as he ran down the stairs. Tohru didn't even have time to prepare their breakfast or anything; she ran a comb through her hair as she skidded down the steps, pulling her socks on as she stumbled over to her shoes. He followed her, stepping into his shoes and handing her backpack to her. 

"Come on Tohru, we better get going, or we'll be late," he said with a half smile. 

Tohru nodded, taking her bag gratefully and jumping to her feet, thankful that her morning sickness seemed to be leaving her alone for now. They didn't even say anything to Shigure before bolting down the road for the high school. It was officially the start of the second term of their second year, and it seemed like the world was against them. An endless train crossed the track before they could cross, wasting about five minutes of their time. The streets were unusually crowded today as well. While pushing their way through, they had to be extra careful so that he wouldn't transform. In the end, their efforts went to waste. They arrived breathlessly at the entrance of the school, the tardy bell ringing before they could even enter. 

They almost collapsed out of exhaustion, but they made their way to their classroom wearily. Shoving the door open, they both apologized to the teacher. All of their classmates stared at the two of them entering together, late, with the same disheveled appearance. It was odd for either of them to be late, especially on the first day back. He was the student body president, and she, well most people knew she tried extra hard at school. Their tardiness came as a shock to the teacher as well. Yuki and Tohru looked around slightly confused. It seemed like they had gotten new seats today. The only seats left open were all the way in the back of the room, but at least they'd be sitting next to each other. 

"I'll let you two off the hook since it's the start of the semester… Get to your seats in the back of the room before I change my mind," muttered Mayu as she went back to writing the lesson on the board.

"Yes sensei… Thank you," they both breathed in before bowing and making their way to their seats without another word. 

Yuki chose the seat near the window, dropping down tiredly. Everyone in the room was giving them funny looks. It was only then did Yuki realize he still had his tie in his hand. Tohru shyly sat down in the seat directly next to him, avoiding the eyes of the Yuki fan girls. She sometimes wished he wasn't so popular. Their eyes shone with anger at her for taking the seat next to _their_ prince. There were three more empty seats to Tohru's right, one most likely for Kyo and the other two were probably for her friends whom she just noticed weren't here today. 

Mayu started the lecture, switching everyone's attention from Yuki and Tohru to her. The two of them were grateful for her doing this. It was now that Yuki decided to tie his tie on, poorly, but at least it was on, to the dismay of many girls who were enjoying getting a glimpse of his chest. Tohru focused intently in the lesson, recording everything the teacher said unlike Yuki who was twirling his pencil around and peering out the window. His notebook, she noticed, was completely empty. This started to worry her and make her jealous. How could he be at the top of their class yet never write down a single note? This amazed her yet made her wonder how she was almost failing yet writing down everything. 

"Yuki-kun…" Tohru whispered tugging on his sleeve. 

"Nn? Is something the matter?" he murmured back softly so no one could hear. 

She stared down at her lap after seeing his genuinely concern filled eyes. Tohru bit her lip, feeling bad for making him worry about her and disrupting his _learning_. Shaking her head, she looked up at him with a smile before going back to note taking. He stared at her intent face as she scribbled down the lecture before resting his head on the desk, not sure what to make of the situation. Feeling sleep catching up with him, Yuki yawned before closing his eyes and dozing off in class. In truth, he hadn't slept well after Tohru had climbed into his bed though he wasn't aware of it. 

Every few minutes, Tohru looked over at the sleeping Yuki. His snores were so soft; she could hardly tell he was sleeping. Several times, she had tried to wake him up, but nothing worked. Around the end of third period she began feeling tired too. Her night had been the complete opposite of his. She didn't fall asleep until she climbed into his bed, which meant she only got four hours of sleep. For what she thought was just a second, she laid her head on top of her notebook, shutting her eyes. It wasn't until Mayu threw an eraser at the ground separating their two desks did either of them realize they had fallen asleep. They both jumped out of their seats, dumbfounded and startled by the sound. 

Mayu pointed at the door yelling, "Sohma! Honda! Don't sleep in class! It's the first day back, and you two were late! Didn't you guys get enough sleep?"

"So-Sorry Sensei!" Tohru cried, looking around embarrassedly. 

Yuki didn't say anything. His eyes held a distant look. He still wasn't fully awake yet, but no one seemed to notice but Tohru. Mayu continued to direct their attention to the door, gesturing them to go into the hall. Tohru blinked innocently but nodded and stood up, bowing before she started out the door. Yuki sat there for a bit longer before following Tohru out. Partially sleepwalking, he almost slammed into the door, missing the edge by an inch. The teacher shut the door, leaving them to sit on the floor. 

Without a second thought, Yuki dropped down on the cold tiles, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. Tohru remained standing, feeling like she had disappointed her mother for falling asleep in class. There was no doubt that the both of them would be in detention for a while because of this. She squeezed her eyes shut, apologizing to her mom through a prayer.

"Honda-san… Don't worry about it so much… You'll still graduate just fine…" Yuki muttered, forcing his eyes to open slightly.

She beamed, feeling better after hearing his words. She plopped herself down beside him. Drowsily, she rested her head on his shoulder, feeling more comfortable around him lately. Yuki set his head on top of hers and held her hand in his, going off to dreamland together once again.

Mayu stepped out of the classroom when the other students were working on an assignment to check on Yuki and Tohru. She froze in her tracks, staring at the two of them, her best student and one of her worst students sleeping in the hallway beside one another holding hands. She couldn't fight the smile from breaking out on her face, "Detention for two weeks…" 


	4. Week 4

Week four: 

Tohru sat in front of the table her head rested on her hands. Today for sure she'd be telling Uo and Hana that she was pregnant. She had gone through an entire week without anyone knowing that she had a baby inside of her. Both Hana and Uo had called her earlier this week to explain why they weren't at school. Uo was complaining about her allergies and all the pollen while apologizing for not being there, adding that Yuki better be taking care of her for her. Tohru just smiled, not sure how to respond to that. Hana had told her that she had to do some sort of ritual concerning the end of summer. Tohru couldn't question that, something she didn't know anything about. They both had promised to be back today though. 

She sighed staring at the cup of tea in front of her. Tohru didn't want to bother Yuki again; she had already disturbed his sleep twice tonight or morning. He didn't say anything harsh to her or anything but she knew he was still half asleep when he comforted her. That was selfish of her to keep bugging him when she had a problem, he had his issues to deal with as well; she shouldn't put more on his mind. 

Every so often she glanced up at the clock half hoping that it would stop. It didn't, minutes continued to pass bringing her closer to her confession to her two best friends. She prayed, prayed desperately that her friends would accept it and choose not to kill Yuki. They were nice; they were they kindest people she knew but they were also over protective of her. Tohru just hoped she could get them to see how badly she wanted to have a child and a child with Yuki just made her happier. 

Nothing would calm her nerves. She had tried to keep herself busy but that didn't work at all. Already she had prepared a lavish breakfast for Shigure, Yuki and herself, a large pot of tea and she had washed all the laundry, folded them and put them away. Her insides were still twisted in a tight knot, refusing to uncoil. That didn't make her feel good at all; she had already thrown up three times this morning from all the stress. Barely a month pregnant and she hated it already; she detested having the baby inside of her and she loathed herself for not liking her child. It wasn't right to think that this early on, she couldn't even begin to imagine her feelings for the baby and for the man who got her pregnant when she was further in her pregnancy. 

"What kind of mother am I going to be if I hate my baby?" Tohru asked herself looking down at her still flat stomach. 

"Tohru? What did you say?" she heard a voice say.

Tohru looked up at Yuki's face in front of her looking at her with worried eyes. She stared at him for a moment not aware of how late it was already. Yuki sat down across from her trying to figure out what was on her mind. As usual he didn't remember a thing about comforting her earlier this morning, almost as if he was sleep listening and talking. 

"Ah! Nothing Yuki-kun! Breakfast is ready! Let me go get it for you!" Tohru exclaimed running off into the kitchen before Yuki could stop her or even get a word out. He sat down in front of the table peering at her cup of tea. Slowly he brushed his fingers against the ceramic shivering. The once warm cup was now cold; that let him have a better idea of how long she had been awake. She came back setting out the array of dishes in front of him with a wide smile. For a minute he could only stare at all the delicious looking food that left him wondering how he hadn't noticed the aroma earlier. Tohru watched him, seeing him stare at the food thinking that he didn't like the food. 

"Oh I'm sorry! Did I make something bad?" Tohru asked frantically waving her arms around. 

"No it's not that… It looks delicious in fact… You're worried about something… aren't you? Is it about telling your friends?" Yuki guessed. 

Tohru just nodded unable to keep any secrets from him anymore. Recently he just saw straight through. She wasn't a good liar to begin with. Sighing she sat down knowing all too well that there wasn't anything he could do to make her feel better. No, he couldn't magically make her un-pregnant in front of her friends nor could he make it so they would never find out. It wasn't his fault either, she was just thinking unreasonably at the moment. 

"Tohru, you shouldn't worry about that, they won't be mad at you. They'll be mad at me at most," Yuki tried to reassure her. 

"I'm sorry Yuki-kun… I'll make sure they won't do anything to you!" Tohru promised jumping out of her seat. Yuki could only laugh seeing the determined look on her face. Tohru sat back down timidly blushing madly as he told her he was kidding with her. They both knew Uo and Hana wouldn't hurt him if Tohru told them not to. So, just as long as he stayed around her they wouldn't lay a finger or wave on him. He didn't want to think about what would happen if they caught him alone. There was no doubt that they'd blame him for each thing from the pregnancy that caused her pain. They ate in silence, wordlessly communicating their worries with each other. 

They walked to school in the same air of silence, concerns heavy in the atmosphere. Few words were exchanged to anyone by either of them, a signal to Uo and Hana that something was wrong. The two friends couldn't say anything yet though, not even after school since Yuki and Tohru still had a week of detention for falling asleep in class. At first Uo and Hana wouldn't believe it, neither would Momiji or Haru but seeing that the two of them did go to the detention room, it had to be true. 

Aimlessly they both sat through the hour long detention. Tohru ran her pen up and down her notebook resting her head on her hand before going back to chewing the pen cap trying to plan out what she'd tell Hana and Uo first. Yuki sat across the room from her, their detention supervisor had specific orders to keep them apart in detention since they were both friends. He had a book standing up on the desk before him appearing to be reading from the teacher's perspective but from Tohru's angle she could see he was sleeping. She giggled softly causing the teacher to stare at her. Her jaw snapped shut as she blushed embarrassedly, the teacher probably thought she was nuts. The bell signaling the end of their detention saved her from having to explain her laughter to the teacher and kept her from having to wake up Yuki. 

He blinked lifting his head and looking around a little with a clueless expression before the bell rang again. For once he stood up fully awake looking back at Tohru. Grabbing his book he moved back over to where she sat helping her put away her things before telling her, "I have to go to the student council room for a minute to find out what I missed at the meeting today. You can go home first if you'd like."

"Ah… Um… I have to stay after for a bit too… Uo-chan and Hana-chan are waiting for me because I told them I had something important to tell them…" Tohru whispered looking down at her desk clenching her fist with determination. She had no right to call her their friend if she couldn't tell them. They told her everything about them, and she usually told them all her secrets. This was just harder news to break to them especially since she couldn't predict how they'd react. 

Yuki nodded understanding what she was going to tell them. The teacher waved her hand at them dismissing them not knowing what she was referring to exactly, brushing it off as unimportant gossip. He handed Tohru her books with a smile reassuring her, "You'll do fine. Don't worry…"

"Thank you Yuki-kun…" Tohru whispered forcing a small smile.

"Don't look so worried. I'll go look for you when I'm done… Okay?" Yuki told her ruffling the top of her hair before walking out of the classroom.

Sighing he walked over to the student council room which was conveniently down the hall from where his detention was held. He grimaced seeing the sign that read The School Defense Force hanging on the wall before the door. It was still a mystery to him why they hadn't torn that down as soon as it was put up. Yuki slid open the door to the room wondering why he even bothered coming to check what they had talked about in the meeting. It was never anything worthwhile or important. Most of it was the most stupid and random things he had ever heard in his life. 

"Yun Yun! You're late! You usually get here five minutes earlier!" Kimi exclaimed instantly as he arrived in the room. 

"Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah Yun! Get here faster from detention!" Manabe shouted with a grin across his face. 

"The president shouldn't even get a detention," Naohito commented with a frown. 

All four of the student council members were there waiting for him. The only one who didn't say anything was Machi who remained silent in the back of the room. They had to nag at him for everything he did wrong, didn't they? If they were all over him because of something as small as a detention he couldn't even begin to picture how they'd react if they found out that he was going to be a father, just another reason for him to never consult with any of them. No one really understood him anyways, they all made him out as a prince out of their own free will yet expected him to live up to the title. That was just ludicrous. 

"How could you fall asleep in class?" Manabe cried flailing his arms around.

"How can **you** say that when **you** fall asleep here instead of working," Yuki muttered getting irritated with him. 

"Nya! Because you are the president!" Manabe argued thrusting his finger towards Yuki. 

"Did it ever occur to you that you're the vice president? Not much difference there," Yuki commented. 

"One word makes a HUGE difference Yun!" Manabe sang in a singsong voice that strangely reminded Yuki of Shigure or even worse Ayame. He had enough of that kind of personality since he lived with Shigure and was related to Ayame. Now, he had another one of them at school. There was no safe place, no time where or when he could be rid of them, was there? Yes, there was the secret base, his haven, probably the only thing that let him keep his sanity, and it also was the special place he shared with Tohru which made it that much more special. 

"I don't know why I'm even arguing with you… Just tell me what I missed… I have to go. Unlike some people I don't plan on spending the rest of my day here," Yuki demanded getting impatient. A side of him he didn't show at school very often. 

"Hmmm… Well first we discussed how we've been getting so much homework recently," Manabe started.

"And Kimi disagreed with this because no teacher gives Kimi homework," Kimi added with a seductive wink. Yuki shook his head not even wanting to ask her what that meant exactly. He had a feeling he was better off not knowing. 

Yuki blinked getting the feeling that today's meeting had been another hour wasted discussing pointless things as he listened to them. Things like this made him question why they even had a student council or defense force as Manabe called it. He was basically the only one who did anything, and it seemed like they weren't able to do anything on their own. They were hopeless cases. After a week of coming here to check on what they had done he wasn't sure why he still came. Each and every time he discovered that nothing had gotten done. 

"And I also brought up the idea of turning the bathrooms and locker rooms into unisex ones!" Manabe continued proudly, glimmers of hope and perversion shining brightly in his eyes. 

"Forget it… I don't want to hear anymore… I'm leaving," Yuki mumbled after smacking Manabe across the head for acting like a lecher. 

He walked out of the room despite their protests. It wasn't like any of them ever had anything of importance to say. Frankly, he thought it was a miracle that they were even in the student council. If he could he would recruit new members for the student council. Maybe that way, they'd have a chance of getting something of importance done. Yuki walked down the halls searching for Tohru. Only now did he regret not telling her to wait for him somewhere, at least then he'd have an idea of where to look. 

Wandering around the halls for about ten minutes he had no success in locating the brunette. About to check outside for her he heard crying coming from the end of the hallway he was walking down. It sounded strangely familiar, like Tohru. But why would she be crying? There was no chance of Uo and Hana making her cry, was there? Yuki quickened his pace practically running down the hall; something forbidden to do at school. 

There was no questioning it, the longhaired girl who sat on the ground with her face pressed against her arms with Tohru. Her knees were being held to her chest by one of her arms as she cried softly. Uo and Hana, her two friends, were no where in sight. Yuki walked up to her suspecting that her tears were from not being able to find them. Softly he spoke trying not to scare her, "Tohru? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Tohru looked up at him with red, puffy eyes. Instantly she ran her face across her arm trying to wipe the tears from her face not wanting him to know that she was crying. There was no need to trouble him with her problems. She tried to smile, "Ah… Yuki-kun, what are you still doing here?" 

"Tohru, don't you remember? I told you I'd find you later. Why are you crying?" Yuki asked stooping down before her wiping one last tear she had missed from her face. 

She was silent not answering his question. This only served to make him more curious and worried, "Were you not able to find Uotani-san and Hanajima-san?"

Tohru felt the tears well up in her eyes from hearing their names. She shook her head trying to blink back tears, failing miserably. The only thing she was able to choke out between her crying was, "No… I fo-found them…" 

Yuki sat himself next to her wanting to hold her and comfort her badly but knowing he couldn't for more then a second made him frown. He wanted to know what made her cry if she had found them. The only way he'd be able to help her was if he found the source of her tears. She buried her face in her arms once again refusing to let him see her cry. It didn't seem to matter if he heard them though. Without hugging her he found it rather difficult to sooth her. He tried wrapping his arm around her shoulder trying to ease her tears away.

"The-they're ma-ad at me…" Tohru confessed in a hardly audible voice. 

"What?" Yuki stated in disbelief looking at her with wide eyes.

"When I told them…. About it they… They said tha-that they didn't wa-want to talk to me again! They sa-said that we cou-couldn't be friends anymore!" Tohru wept crying bitterly now. 

That wasn't something he couldn't believe. There was no way that those girls, who cherished Tohru as much as he did, could say such things to her. Her expression seemed to believe that they hated her. Making her cry like this was too much for a joke even by the two of them. They wouldn't have left her like this, would they? As he was about to say something to her the voices of those two interrupted him.

"Aww… Prince we were expecting a lot more from you. You should have hugged her at the least!" Uo yelled holding a stick of odango in her hand. 

"Yes… I am rather disappointed as well… especially after doing that to our precious, innocent Tohru," Hana nodded holding the rest of the odango in her arms. 

"Eh?" 

Tohru and Yuki looked at each other, both equally confused and stunned. She had stopped crying when she heard them speak to her. Still dumbfounded by their presence she peered at the both of them tears dripping down her cheeks. Hana stuck a stick of odango in her mouth chewing slowly without a readable expression on her face. Uo seemed unfazed by the tears. She kneeled in front of Tohru with an apologetic look.

"We shouldn't have gotten that odango Hana… Look what we did…" Uo looked back at the gothic looking girl.

"Yes… I agree… We should have been here to watch the whole time," Hana agreed. 

"What are you talking about?" Yuki asked getting more confounded by the moment. 

Uo sighed glancing back at Hana before telling them everything, "Obviously we wouldn't stop being your friend because of something like that. It wasn't your choice to have this stupid problem. Sorry to make you cry… We just wanted to see if the prince here was good enough for you. We can see not seeing as he couldn't even comfort you when you were crying." 

Uo shot a glare at Yuki angrily and disappointedly. Yuki gulped not sure how to explain. It wasn't as if he hadn't thought about hugging her or that he didn't want to but rather that he couldn't, not without transforming. He couldn't fairly well tell them he was cursed and there wasn't exactly another good reason why. Tohru glanced up at him; unlike Uo and Hana she knew why he didn't hug her. She smiled faintly letting Uo and Hana know that she was okay. 

"I agree…. I cannot allow you to marry Tohru-kun anytime soon," Hana told him directly.

"Marry?" Yuki and Tohru repeated in unison. They both looked at each other with bewildered looks not sure what brought that topic up. Tohru laughed out of relief, glad to know that her friends really weren't mad at her. She didn't know what she'd do without them. The other two girls just wrapped their arms around her sorry for making her cry so much. Yuki watched the three of them, their closeness always surprising him. There was no doubt that Tohru would share that same warmth and tenderness with the child. 


	5. Week 5

Tohru rubbed her eyes sleepily sitting on her bed under the blankets for a minute before climbing out. This was the first night in a long time that she had remained in her room all night. Most nights she had to talk to Yuki at least once; that showed how tired she was. She stood there straightening out her comforter and pillows neatly. She sighed; glad that for once she hadn't bothered Yuki. If she continued disturbing him she got the feeling that he wouldn't be the happy supportive person he usually was. Tohru couldn't let him slip away! He was helping her so much with her school work; so much that she'd fail without him. Not that that was the only reason she didn't want him fed up with her…

School had been extra hard this previous week. She found it hard to concentrate on her school work and on listening to the lectures when there was a baby growing inside of her. Of course none of the teachers cut her any slack since she hadn't told anyone about her situation yet. Yuki understood though. Sometimes she couldn't figure out how he could sit there for hours going over every little detail with her until she could grasp each concept. It was a miracle and she couldn't even count how many times she thanked him for that.

Homework was the only thing that kept her mind off the little person inside of her. It kept her busy for the whole day though at night her mind still managed to drift back to the baby. Those were the times she had to talk to Yuki most. The more she thought about the baby the more she started to freak out. She hated to think that far into the future and imagine the pain of having the baby. In fact she didn't even like to think that she was going to be a single mother for the rest of her life. Who'd want to marry a woman with a child? Sometimes she hated herself and her situation. Tohru sighed deciding not to think about it anymore. The pregnancy scared her too much. In the end, she just detested herself for these feelings. Why couldn't she just be happy with the chance to have a baby?

She looked around shaking her head trying to focus on something else. Tohru glanced at the mirror running a brush through her long brown hair before stepping out of her room. It was eight in the morning, the latest she had slept since she got pregnant. As soon as she stepped out the doors she felt something cold touch her stomach. Tohru yelped as she jumped up in shock almost making the dark haired doctor lose his balance. Hatori was kneeling on the floor holding one end of his stethoscope in his hands extended out in front of him.

"Hatori-san! Wha-what are you doing… here?" Tohru choked out in a surprised voice.

Hatori was silent for a brief moment before vaguely explaining, "I was listening to find the heartbeat."

"Heartbeat?" Tohru repeated in a bewildered tone.

The last time she checked her heart was in her chest not in her stomach. Hatori didn't say anything he just remained there. It took Tohru a minute before she realized he was talking about the baby's heartbeat instead of hers. She gasped as the realization struck her wondering who had told him. There were only four people who she knew could have told him. Two of them, her friends, didn't know Hatori, one of them, Yuki, was still asleep as far as she knew. That left Shigure…

"Umm… I don't know what you are talking about…" Tohru breathed pressing her back against the wall.

"… You **are** pregnant aren't you…? And with Yuki's child if I heard correctly unless Shigure is joking with me. If that is the case then I'm sorry," Hatori responded as he started to get up.

Tohru was silent unable to deny the fact. She looked down at the floor not sure what to say anymore. Hatori nodded patting her on top of the head. He got the hint that Tohru hadn't wanted Shigure to tell all the Sohmas but it was too late to go back and make Shigure un-tell them. He could suppress their memories but they'd find out anyways so there was no point in doing that. That dog tended to say more then he had right to, it was Tohru and Yuki's choice who they told and when they did. Besides he didn't fully understand why she was so nervous. If he was in her situation, then he probably would have made the same choice. None of the Sohmas would be mad at her if that was what she was thinking… Hatori was about to tell her that but was distracted by her next question.

She looked up at Hatori with grave eyes asking in a small voice, "Who else did Shigure-san tell?"

"I'm almost positive that he told everyone in the zodiac at the least," Hatori replied truthfully.

"And Akito-san?" Tohru added in a barely audible voice. She was afraid to hear his answer. Akito had never liked her and would probably like her even less or hate her since she was pregnant with Yuki's child. Yuki was Akito's technically and Akito was never one who liked to share. Tohru bit her lip, bracing herself for Hatori's answer. She would stay calm no matter what; she had too for the baby's sake. Besides Yuki would also suffer… It was selfish for her to just think about herself.

"Don't worry about Akito, Honda-kun. You can relax… Trust me," Hatori tried to reassure her.

She nodded letting out a deep breath. If Hatori told her not to worry then she wouldn't. Tohru trusted each of the Sohmas but something about Hatori being a doctor made her trust him more. Hearing shuffling in Yuki's room, which was across the hall from hers, she shifted uncomfortably not sure how Yuki would react to the rest of the Sohmas knowing. They'd tease him more than her; she hoped he wouldn't blame her for needing to get pregnant. Tohru sighed oblivious to know that Hatori was still standing in front of her.

"Honda-kun, are you alright?" Hatori asked her not used to seeing her spacing out in front of him. Those who lived with her, Yuki, Shigure and Kyo on the other hand were accustomed to her spacing out anywhere from in the bath, not that they were peeking in on her, to in the middle of serving a meal in which she would spill food or tea. Either way there was something about her that made the three of them love her anyways along with the rest of the Sohmas.

"Y-yes! I'm perfectly fine!" Tohru choked out being brought out of her trance of thoughts by his voice. She blinked not sure what had just happened. It always took her a minute or two to catch onto the fact that she had just spaced out. Glancing around with a bewildered expression she blushed embarrassedly when she realized what happened. She was too scared to ask how long she had been standing there.

Hatori nodded before suggesting, "Why don't you sit down and I'll make sure your baby is doing alright."

He gestured to her stomach with a small wave of his hand. Tohru stared at him for a second before agreeing. There was no harm in letting him make sure that the baby was safe. It was going to be her only baby after all. She couldn't let it be a miscarriage. Out of precaution and concern for her child she opened the door to her room so he could check on her inside without Shigure as a constant distraction.

"Umm… So do you want me to sit here?" Tohru asked stepping into her room and pointing to the bed beside her.

"That'll be fine…" Hatori replied lifting up the stethoscope again.

Tohru seated herself on the edge of the bed twisting the hem of her shirt nervously. She hadn't even been to the doctor yet. Her appointment with the doctor was scheduled for two weeks after today. She had no idea what to expect to happen. Hatori kneeled down in front of her lifting her shirt a tiny bit so he could place the stethoscope on top of her belly. Tohru shivered as Hatori moved the cold piece of metal over her skin until he located the heartbeat.

"You want to hear the baby's heart?" Hatori offered slipping the stethoscope out of his ears. Tohru nodded eagerly with excitement. He slid the ear pieces into her ears before attempting to find the heartbeat again which was hard since he couldn't hear it anymore. The only reason he knew he had found it was because he heard Tohru gasp.

"That's amazing Hatori-san!" Tohru shrieked clutching the ear pieces to her ears as she listened intently to the soft thumps. Her eyes widened with pure bliss thinking about the little baby inside of her. He or she had to be healthy to have such a strong heartbeat. She giggled relieved to hear that.

Hatori smiled at her keeping one hand on the stethoscope to prevent it from falling off her belly. He found it interesting that she could get so giddy over something as small as a heartbeat. Being a doctor he dealt with these things a lot and was unfazed by it. Besides he had just recently been taking care of Satsuki when she was pregnant with Hinata, Hiro's sister.

Yuki stepped out of his room rubbing his eyes tiredly. He had awoken when he heard Tohru and Hatori talking though he didn't recognize the voices then and at this point he had forgotten what woke him up. Passing Tohru's door on his journey downstairs he was shocked to hear laughing coming from her bedroom. Yuki froze curious to know what was going on in there.

"To-!" Yuki started pushing open her half open door. He froze, his hand still on the door staring at the two of them in the dark. From his angle it appeared like Hatori was removing her shirt and about to get intimate. They were inside of her room, the lights were off and she was on the bed. Jealousy was burning inside of him but he couldn't figure out the reason why. Why was he jealous if Tohru was just his friend?

"Yuki-kun! Look! Look! It's the baby's heartbeat! Do you want to hear it?" Tohru exclaimed pulling the stethoscope out of her ears and holding them up so Yuki could see them.

He stared at her, his eyes widening slightly. Suddenly he found himself blushing out of embarrassment for even thinking that he was walking in on something like that. Maybe Shigure's perverted nature was actually rubbing off on him. Yuki was stunned speechless not sure what to say as his legs moved on their own walking over to where Tohru and Hatori were. Slowly he sat down beside her, and Tohru instantly put the ear pieces into his ears.

"Do you hear it?" Tohru asked.

He listened to the quiet beating for a minute before nodding. Yuki was just as amazed by the sound as Tohru was. Hatori watched the two of them with great interest. It was obvious that they had grown a lot closer since she got pregnant. He was curious to know what would happen when Kyo returned. That wasn't likely to turn out smoothly. Especially since the cat shared a liking to the brunette with Yuki and had a strong distaste for the rat. Kyo wouldn't take the news well, would he? He'd be the last one of the zodiac to find out…

"Wow…" He muttered, unable to say anything else.

Tohru nodded vigorously completely agreeing with what he said. She understood his loss of words and knew his exact thoughts about hearing the heartbeat. It was just simply incredible to hear the sound while at the same time it was the hardest thing to express one's feelings in words. Tohru clasped her hands together in delight her eyes shimmering. She clapped her hands happily as Yuki took the stethoscope out of his ears. He handed it back to Hatori saying a small thank you.

"I think I should get going now…." Hatori mumbled remembering the list of patients he had to see today. He had left so suddenly when he received the call from Shigure about Tohru, which was at five a.m., a ludicrous hour to be calling people. From that point he had gotten ready and came to Shigure's house arriving at six thinking that Tohru would be awake already. He was shocked to learn that she wasn't and had waited upstairs for her and that's where it left him, it was eight thirty in the morning and he had completely forgotten about his patients, mainly Akito.

Yuki and Tohru looked at each other before saying goodbye to the doctor. Hatori smiled the smallest smile and left in a hurry but not before adding, "Good luck…. Hearing from the rest of our family Honda-kun…"

"Wait… Does everyone know about you…?" Yuki waited until Hatori exited the room before he asked her this.

The brunette trembled a tiny bit before she raised her head up and down with a yes. It was almost as if she was afraid of telling him this. His face immediately sank into the palms of his hands as a groan escaped his mouth. He didn't even make an attempt to try and hide his displeasure to hear this. Tohru bit her lip worried about what he thought about this. Maybe he was going to regret going through this with her. It pained her to think about this. Yuki stared at her through a thin space between his fingers and smiled. Her eyes fluttered as she gazed at him glad to know that he wasn't angry but at the same time confused to see him smile after he had just groaned a second ago.

He removed his hands from his face and eyed her extending his hand to her with his pinky raised, the rest of his fingers folded in a fist. Her brows furrowed with confusion as she eyed him oddly not getting what he wanted her to do with his gesture. Yuki's grin just widened, "Let's promise each other that we won't let them kill us."

She peered up at Yuki not fully understanding what his comment meant but laced her pinky with his nonetheless. He beamed at her muttering, "You didn't promise…"

"I promise…?" Tohru stated in a half questioning voice.

Yuki laughed shaking his head his forehead dropping back into his hands after he let go of her pinky. Knowing his family they'd waste no time in coming to see them. A week, that's the longest he would give them. Seven days would be the longest they'd be able to go without bringing the baby up. He just prayed that Haru and Momiji wouldn't say anything at school. Tohru and Yuki had enough problems as it was; they didn't need the entire school breathing down their necks as well… Whatever will happen will but he was sure of one thing, it was going to be _interesting_… Hopefully they wouldn't kill them; they didn't really have a reason to kill them, did they?

**I apologize for the delay in an update but since is kinda down again I was iffy about updating... But I decided to anyways! I adore all of you readers! Especially you reviewers! Keep the support and love coming! 3** **And please keep correcting me! So hit that lovely purple button and leave a comment!**


	6. Week 6

Today early in the morning before school even started began the visit of the other Sohmas. The first two people unable to keep their mouths shut were Haru and Momiji who approached Yuki and Tohru on their way to school. For the first half of their usual journey Yuki and Tohru walked together in the familiar silence until they reached their first turn. The ox and the rabbit stood there anxiously awaiting their arrival. Tohru was surprised to see the white haired teen and the energetic blonde one but Yuki was calm muttering something about knowing they would approach them before the week ended.

"Hatsuharu-san? Momiji-kun? What are you two doing here?" Tohru asked in a baffled voice completely forgetting that Shigure had told everyone.

Haru was silent for a second thinking about what she had asked. He was tired from getting up extra early to get here on time and decided not to answer her question. To actually get here without getting lost Momiji had awoken him at five o' clock in the morning with the energy that never seemed to leave the rabbit. Having less patience from lack of sleep he wanted to get directly to his point, teasing Yuki and Tohru.

"So Yuki… You finally scored?" Haru teased the rat with a serious expression on his face.

Yuki made a face at Haru before rolling his eyes. At times he thought Haru was too mature for his age, always giving him advice and such, but at other moments he seemed less mature than Momiji who couldn't sit still for a second. At least Momiji was silent right now. Momiji was smiling like he had something to say, but he waited for Haru to finish first.

"Score? Yuki-kun, are you on a sports team?" Tohru asked the rat. She tilted her head to the side not understanding Haru's word choice. Her forehead creased as she tried to figure out what he meant. As far as she knew Yuki didn't play any sports. If he did he would have told her, wouldn't he? He didn't seem to be staying after school any longer or going to school earlier for practices. Besides he seemed busy enough with the Student Council.

"Yeah… You know the new sport these days? They all try to get women pregnant and whoever has the most children after a year wins," Haru whispered to Tohru but loud enough for Yuki to hear.

The brunette's eyes widened in shock actually believing what Haru said. One could say she was naïve, credulous but more than anything she was gullible, too trusting for her own safety. She was unable to doubt anything anyone told her but wasn't a team like that something Yuki would never join? Tohru looked at Haru then to Yuki starting to get confused. She didn't think Yuki would be in a club like that considering the curse but why would Haru lie to her? This didn't make any sense to her. Too bad the words joking or teasing weren't in her vocabulary.

"That's disgusting Haru… Don't believe him Tohru," Yuki told the brunette beside him not wanting her to think poorly of him. She seemed to let out a sigh of relief when she heard this. If Yuki said it wasn't true then it couldn't be. Neither of them had a reason to lie but she knew Yuki better. Still, she shouldn't question Haru's honesty. That was rather rude. Tohru tried very hard to figure out what to do but her train of thoughts was interrupted by what Haru said next.

"What in the world are you talking about? I'm not the one who impregnated a girl," Haru said in a calm voice.

Tohru's long, brown hair seemed to stand up vertically for a split second as her eyes bulged. She jumped up and almost tripped over her own feet from shock. The color drained from her face as she looked from Haru to Momiji. It was only now did she remember what Hatori had told her. Everyone knew and she knew that yet she still had to ask, "Y-y-you know?"

"Yep! Tohru is going to be a mutti!" Momiji exclaimed rather energetically. He bounced forward and took both of Tohru's hands in his giddily. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't contain his excitement anymore. He HAD to join the fun now. It was a miracle that he had kept his mouth shut and stayed away for that long already.

Haru nodded with a grave look of mock disappointment, he shook his head at Tohru making her go into an apologizing frenzy. She really didn't know the consequences of her actions and wasn't sure how to react in these kind of situations. She didn't want any of the Sohmas mad at her. If they were she didn't know what she'd do since she couldn't exactly undo what happened with Yuki. The ox just smiled and slung his arm around Yuki's shoulders.

"You know I'm rather ashamed in you… I always thought your first time would be with me… But…How was it?" Haru questioned with a half smile.

"Shut up… Rin would kill **me** if she heard you say that," Yuki told his white haired cousin as he attempted to pry his arm off of his shoulder.

The teasing from Haru and Momiji calling Tohru a 'mutti' continued the whole journey to school. They were wise enough to stop before they reached the school to keep anyone else from learning about Tohru's pregnancy. But as soon as school was out Haru and Momiji insisted on going home with them. Tohru willingly invited them for dinner, but already both she and Yuki were ready for the day to be over. Yuki knew what was awaiting them at home, seven Sohmas ready to bombard them with questions and comments.

Arriving at the wooden porch and paper door Yuki hesitated before opening the door. He placed his hand on the door, shutting his eyes tightly he braced himself for the attack as he slid the door open. To his surprise the only thing that hit him was the still air and quietness coming from within. Yuki stuck his head inside the house looking to the right and left for his family. There was no one there besides Shigure who was seated at the table with a newspaper in his hands. Not even seven pairs of shoes sat next to the door.

"Ah… Welcome back Yuki-kun, Tohru-kun! I see you've brought Haru and Momiji with you!" Shigure greeted them waving them over.

Cautiously Yuki stepped inside as if he suspected a Sohma to be hidden around every corner. Tohru entered without any worries; once again she had forgotten that Shigure had told everybody. Haru and Momiji came in unfazed; they knew the Sohmas would show up sooner or later. The four high school students removed their shoes and wandered deeper into the house. Only one of them was alert and careful, one was laid back as usual, one bouncy and hyper while the last rather cheerful.

"I'll go make everyone some snacks!" Tohru offered making her way over to the kitchen.

Before she could even make it to the kitchen she felt arms encircle her waist. She screamed and fell backwards to be caught by the long haired man, also known as Yuki's older brother. Ayame was dressed in a traditional red robe bordered with a gold trimming. Being the dramatic person he was known to be he placed his slender finger atop of Tohru's lips. She blinked as she stared up at him slowly piecing together what had just happened.

"My fair lady, why is it that no other gentleman rushes over here in my place to catch the falling princess?" He asked in a smooth voice.

Her face had turned a bright red as she struggled to say, "Ay-Ayame-san!"

Yuki didn't seem amused at the appearance of his _dearly beloved _brother. He liked the position he held Tohru in even less. His eyes hardened into a deathly glare; through these angry eyes he looked at Ayame waiting for him to put Tohru back down. If Ayame did anything to Tohru Yuki swore he was going to commit fratricide and have a _dear_ brother no longer. He even had the perfect place to keep the corpse in mind already.

"Nii-san! Let-go-of-her," Yuki said slowly emphasizing every single word.

"If that is my dear brother's wish then I must obey!" Ayame breathed as he moved his arms from around Tohru's back to across his heart.

The brunette shrieked again as what was previously supporting her and holding her up was removed. Yuki's eyes widened as he rushed over to catch her right before she hit the ground. He was kneeling on one knee, his other foot planted on the ground, like he was about to propose, supporting Tohru on top of his knee. His arms were around her shoulders and head to keep her from getting a bump on her skull. Tohru could hear her heart pound louder than it had ever pounded before. It was so loud she swore she was going to go deaf.

The other three occupants watched from their seats at the table. They stared at the others as if they were acting out some sort of drama. Shigure even had a bowl of popcorn set out on the table. His newspaper was refolded and set aside to read later. A mischievous and entertained smirk rested on his face. Haru sat to the left of the dog with his camera in hand, ready to catch every moment. Momiji just lie there with a stack of candy beside him engulfing each piece rather quickly looking up at Tohru every once in a while.

Yuki glared at the older snake for being so careless. That older brother of his had almost let Tohru get hurt, an unacceptable act. Tohru stared up at Yuki, her blush spread across her body feeling guilty and embarrassed to be caught in this position. She looked up at him with eyes practically begging him to put her down before everyone caught sight of her scarlet face and found out her feelings for the rat. Her look didn't seem to get through to Yuki. The silver haired teen forgot about everyone else in the room except for his older brother.

"How can you be so irresponsible? Tohru almost got hurt! What would you have done then?!" Yuki demanded, his annoyance with the snake heard loud and clear in his voice.

"But it was your request for me to let go of Tohru-kun," Ayame responded nonchalantly.

They continued to argue much to the dismay to the other three occupants of the room. A fight between brothers was something they saw on an almost regular basis. What they wanted to see was a more flustered and red faced Yuki. Tohru looking timid and embarrassed was amusing too but that's how she usually was anyways. Shigure sighed and sat his chin in the palms of his hands getting bored with their _show_. Momiji continued to pop candy in his mouth as an idea came to Haru.

"Yuki, look down," Haru ordered from his spot.

"Huh?"

Yuki glanced down at the flushed brunette still laying there in his arms. He had forgotten that he hadn't set the poor shy girl down yet. His eyebrows rose slightly as a shade of pink covered his pale cheeks. A click was heard as a flash lit up the room. The two of them peered over at the source of the sound and blinding light. Haru sat there with his digital camera in hand the lens pointed directly at the two of them. A look of horror seemed to cross Tohru's face as her jaw dropped open. She was positive that her face was the color of a tomato, and she was sure if they looked at the picture long enough they'd discover something she didn't want them to know.

"Perfect…" Haru commented satisfactorily.

Shigure leaned over and glanced at the screen of Haru's digital camera and gave Haru a thumbs up sign and a wink. Yuki flinched veins popping out of his forehead as he thought of ways to _thank_ this _kind_ family of his. Poisoning their food crossed his mind twice but somehow that didn't seem cruel enough. Didn't they have any other means of entertainment besides torturing him? Didn't they have any other place to be? Someday he had a feeling that he'd be sent to a mental hospital because of them.

"Ooh! I wanna see!!! Show me! Show me!" Momiji piped in as he plopped his head in between Shigure and Haru's head to catch a glimpse of the picture.

"Ha-chaaaaaaaaaaan! Allow me the pleasure of seeing with my own eyes my little brother's romantic fantasy!" Ayame exclaimed before strolling over to the photographer.

Yuki instantly set Tohru down gently as his blush doubled in darkness. He stood up and walked over to the group of men ready to dispose of that picture in any way possible. Tohru sat there pondering what to do in this situation with her teeth clenched on her lip. At least Yuki didn't want them to have the picture like her. He had a better chance of getting rid of the picture than she did. Completely immersed in her thoughts she didn't notice someone approaching her. Leaving Tohru alone for that split second Yuki left her to the claws of Kagura. Kagura clamped her hands on Tohru's shoulders with a giddy smile.

"Congratulations!" the boar exclaimed though there were hints of disbelief in her large dark gray eyes.

"Ka-Kagura-chan!" Tohru choked out looking back at Kagura.

"So is it a boy? Is it a girl? Are you really pregnant or is Shi-chan pulling our legs? 'Cause if he is…" Kagura concluded with a menacing look in Shigure's direction.

"Rest be assured! It is nothing but the truth!" Shigure reassured her with a nervous chuckle. Kagura was dangerous, especially now when there was no Kyo for her to vent her angry affections on. The last thing he wanted to do was be a temporary replacement for Kyo.

Kagura seemed content with his answer and began talking to Tohru in an excited voice about the joys of a child. Tohru just nodded to Kagura in response only hearing half of what Kagura was telling her. The soon to be mother was clearly overwhelmed by all these people coming at once. Maybe if they gave her a few minutes to catch her breath she'd be handling this better. Right now she looked about ready to collapse. At this moment she was wondering whether she'd prefer them angry about her pregnancy instead of all this teasing.

"Goodness what has the world been overcome by? My young baby brother is going to be a father before I am!" Ayame continued rambling on to no one in particular.

The next two arrivals were a shy Kisa with an overprotective Hiro at her side. Hiro had his arms crossed across his chest standing in his place a few feet away from Tohru refusing to take another step towards her. Kisa stepped towards Tohru timidly before greeting her with their usual hug. Tohru happily returned the hug glad to know that at least Kisa wasn't upset by her pregnancy. The tiger, in her own way had gotten Tohru to relax considerably.

"Congratulations Onee-chan!" Kisa exclaimed before pulling away from Tohru.

"Thank you Kisa-chan…" Tohru smiled unsure of what else to say.

Kisa looked back at her companion with large eyes begging him to follow in her suit and say something pleasant to Tohru. Hiro grunted and rolled his eyes but obeyed. The sheep was never able to refuse something the tiger asked of him. In a quiet slightly embarrassed voice Hiro muttered, "Yeah… Congratulations…"

"Umm… Thank you Hiro-chan!" Tohru exclaimed. His congratulation had caught her and everyone else in the room off guard. Nobody expected to hear that phrase come out of his mouth without sarcasm dripping off of it. It sounded purely truthful and Kisa beamed glad to hear him say that. The small girl seemed to have worked wonders on the smart mouthed boy. Hiro snorted at them reverting back to his smart aleck ways.

"What are you all looking at? Are you all deaf or am I forbidden to say congratulations? Or is it that you all think I'm incapable of being nice? Sheesh! How rude!" Hiro snapped his face a tad pink.

Before anyone could reply to Hiro there was a loud crash outside and a scream. A string of loud apologizes began to sound as the door slid open with much force. The man with long orange hair wearing a golden kimono skidded into the room with his hands on his head. Across his face sat a crazed look filled with panic. Shigure had a suspicious aura around him now as he smiled. With Ritsu around there was a guarantee to be more fun for him.

"I'm so SORRY! It's ALL MY FAULT! I don't deserve to live! How could I BREAK A LOVELY FLOWER POT like the beautiful one once on your doorstep! BUT NO! IT'S NOT THERE ANYMORE BECAUSE I KNOCKED IT OVER! I'm SO SORRY!" Ritsu cried tugging at his hair.

"Umm… Ritsu-san… Shigure-san wanted to throw that away so it's okay…" Tohru told the now crying monkey.

Ritsu glanced up at Tohru and froze. His apologies stopped as he faintly smiled and wiped the tears from his face. Once he realized the dastardly deed he was committing his eyes shot open and he ran over to Tohru apologizing again already. Tohru opened her mouth to repeat what she had just told him thinking he hadn't heard her but she was continually cut off by him. Getting bored with this Hiro tugged Kisa over to the TV reminding her about the new episode of Mogota on today. Kisa smiled happy to hear this.

"I'm so sorry Tohru-san! I have cursed you with this smile of mine! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!! It's my fault that you have to be pregnant! I SHOULDN'T HAVE LET YOU DONE THAT! I shouldn't BE ALLOWED TO LIVE!!!" Ritsu continued in a louder voice than before.

Shigure got out of his seat with a grin across his face. He galloped over to Ritsu and poked him in the side causing the monkey to collapse. A chuckle left his mouth before he glided back to his seat. Yuki dropped down on the ground too tired to try and wrestle the camera from Haru anymore. Kagura was gushing over the photo at the moment along with Shigure and Ayame. Momiji was acting like himself energetically running around and half watching Mogota with Kisa and Hiro. Ritsu continued to lay on the floor unconscious. The poor rat was about ready to smack his head on the wall repeatedly. His head was already spinning from all the noise and commotion.

Tohru was escaped into the kitchen to make dinner after checking on Ritsu and getting him a pillow and blanket; she didn't want to leave Ritsu there but she didn't want everyone else to be forced to wait on food. After seeing the peaceful look on Ritsu's face she convinced herself that he was okay and went to prepare to cook. She hummed a tune to herself as she started to make dinner for everyone. In a matter of minutes a delicious aroma wafted around the house finally getting the Sohmas in the other room to silent down.

Everyone stared towards the kitchen wondering what smelled so good. The scent was so strong and pleasing it even got Ritsu to wake up. Not even an apology left Ritsu's mouth when he awoke; he was stunned silent by the smell. No one had even noticed that Tohru had left. Yuki was first to stand. He was scolding himself mentally for not noticing Tohru's disappearance. All of them had tried Tohru's cooking before, but either from not having it in a while or just because, it seemed to smell extra good at the moment.

"Dinner is ready!" Tohru chirped as she stepped back into the living room with a large platter in her hands.

She walked slowly towards the table not wanting to drop any bit of food. Looking over her shoulder Yuki could spot other things that would need to be carried out before they could start eating. Trying to be as helpful as he could he walked around her and carried the pile of bowls and silverware out for her setting it down on the table beside the dish she had placed in the center of the table. Everybody in the room stood around staring at the food hungrily. They remained standing awkwardly; there was only enough room for eight out of the ten people there.

"Ah… Thank you Yuki-kun!" Tohru beamed widely.

The sheep and tiger sat down first; Hiro was seated next to Kisa with his elbows plopped up on the table, his chin resting on top. The TV had been cast aside once the two kids realized how hungry they were. Across from them were Shigure and Ayame immersed in that deep dramatic act of theirs which ended with a thumbs up. Haru and Momiji sat down to the right of Hiro and to Kisa's left sat Kagura with one space left open. That left Tohru, Yuki and Ritsu standing.

"Umm… I can eat later… Ritsu-san please sit down and eat first," Tohru suggested.

"NO! I cannot take your spot and force you to eat later! I'M SO SORRY! My arrival has ruined everything! It's my fault! I should have never come here!" Ritsu yelled in a panicked voice.

"Even if you left there still wouldn't be enough room for everyone…" Hiro muttered.

Tohru's forehead creased as she tried to come up with a solution that would please everyone. She didn't mind eating later but it was difficult to get that through to Ritsu. Even if Ritsu accepted it she wasn't sure if Yuki cared whether he ate with everyone or not. If he wanted to eat now she would be in trouble for giving his seat away. Tohru didn't want to speak for him and wrongly express what he wanted.

"It's okay I'll keep Tohru company," Yuki offered with a smile.

"Are you sure Yuki? You know we won't be the ones saving you anything," Haru warned the rat with a smile.

Yuki nodded with a shrug, "If they eat it all that just means we can go out to eat nn, Honda-san?"

He smiled, his comment left her blushing and everyone else staring. Before Shigure or Ayame or anyone else for that matter could say something stupid Yuki took Tohru's hand and led her out the door to wait outside until everyone was finished. Yuki sat himself down on the porch step and patted the spot next to him. The crimson faced brunette sat down timidly. They stayed there silent for a minute. Ritsu's protests and apologies could be heard be a moment longer before he settled down and agreed to eat.

"I'm sorry Honda-san. My family really is a pain…" Yuki told her with a sheepish smile.

"Ah no! That's okay! It made me happy to see them all!" Tohru beamed happily.

"Yeah… I guess it was kinda like some big family reunion. At least everyone didn't come. That would have made everything more hectic…" Yuki commented with a frown.

She seemed a lot less edgy now that she was out of the house. Her face was slowly turning back to its normal color which was still a little pink. He smiled glad to see that he had helped a bit. Yuki watched her face turn more serious as she thought about the missing members. First flustered than so somber now, her facial expressions changed so easily. Either way she looked beautiful. He caught himself staring before she did and realized she had started speaking.

"Kureno-san and Hatori-san must be working… I wonder if Akito-san is sick or maybe Akito didn't want to see me… Umm… I wonder why Isuzu-san didn't come…" Tohru rambled on trying not to forget any of the Sohmas she had met.

"I thought for sure Rin would come too… But she's in the hospital," Haru explained from behind them.

Tohru jumped up from her position. She hadn't heard Haru come out of the house. Yuki calmly peered at his cousin after making sure that Tohru hadn't hurt herself. He squatted behind them with a plate of food in either hand. Yuki's gaze shifted from Haru to the plates of food then back to the ox lifting his eyebrows with suspicion. Was his family planning on poisoning his food for thinking about doing that to them? He stared at the food questioningly; they could have messed with the food while the two of them were out here.

"Here, I brought food for you guys," Haru added as he extended his arms.

"Thanks…But I thought you said you weren't going to save anything for me," Yuki replied as he took one plate from Haru still cautiously looking at the plate.

"My love for you convinced me to keep you from starving so stop looking at it as if it was going to kill you," Haru responded calmly.

Tohru stepped forward and took her plate a worried expression across her face as she asked, "Isuzu-san is in the hospital?"

Haru nodded slowly. After he left here he was heading straight to the hospital to see her if she didn't sneak out or run away already. He knew fairly well how much she hated that place but he also knew that if she just stayed in bed she'd be able to leave the place a lot sooner. Tohru frowned, not liking to hear that Rin was in the hospital and in pain. Everyone should be visiting Rin not her, she felt guilty though in the back of her head she knew Rin wouldn't let them come in.

"Yeah… But it's just stomach ulcers so she'll be fine… She's actually letting me see her this time so I guess that's good," Haru answered with a faint smile.

"Oh! That's good to hear! Do you want me to make you some jelly to take to her?" Tohru offered.

"No… That's okay. I've been practicing a lot so now I can make it for her each time I go to see her. Besides, you should be worrying about yourself. When that baby comes out you'll be in ten times as much pain," Haru reminded her.

A look of fear seemed to pass over her face. Her eyes widened and her face turned a ghostly pale. Tohru opened her mouth and tried to say something but her jaw just remained hanging open. She closed her mouth for a second before she repeated the five words that struck out to her, "Ten times as much pain?"

She said it in an almost questioning way. It had never really occurred to her that having a baby would hurt. Tohru hadn't ever thought about actually giving birth. It was not unknown to her that the process of forcing a baby out of her frail body would be difficult but it was only now did she realize that sooner or later the time would come when she'd have to have the baby. Yuki stared at her; he could only guess what she was thinking about, but he was pretty sure he knew what was on her mind from what she said.

"Don't listen to Haru. It's not like he's ever had a baby before," Yuki smiled. Being a boy, Haru couldn't have possibly given birth before. Still what Yuki said could only be half true. One didn't need to go through the baby process to see how badly it hurt. For now Yuki just wanted to keep her mind off of that painful experience she'd have to go through in the future. He wanted so badly for that smile to remain on her face but there was nothing he could do to keep the pressures of the baby from making the smile fade from her face in the future…

But he still wanted to believe he could.


	7. Week 7

\/p>

Tohru bit her lip nervously. Glancing around the white lobby of the doctor's office just made her more anxious. Looking to her side at the sleepy silver haired teen beside her, Tohru started to regret letting him come to her first doctor's appointment with her. A seven in the morning doctor's appointment was clearly too early for him. They both had to get up at six to get here, or at least that's when he woke up. She had awakened at five to prepare a breakfast for him and Shigure before the appointment. After packing Shigure's breakfast up in a container and sticking it in the fridge so that he was free to eat it at any time Tohru went to go wake up Yuki, a task that just seemed to get harder every time. 

Eventually she had managed to get him out of bed and to the kitchen table without letting him run into anything. They ate a quick breakfast together before running back upstairs to get ready. At around 6:45 Hatori, being the only Sohma capable of driving properly, arrived to drive them to the obstetrician's office. He dropped them off at the door of the brick building after a short drive telling them to call him when the appointment was done with so he could take them home. Tohru nodded and agreed to do so since Yuki was still barely awake and incapable of responding. The Sohma doctor gave a stiff wave before driving off to care for Akito before the Sohma head noticed his disappearance. She turned her attention to Yuki and took hold of his arm to keep him from hitting anything in his sleepy state. Yuki staggered in after her, and she had helped him into a chair before going to the reception's desk to check in. 

The nurse had given her one look before shaking her head with a disapproving sigh. No adult wanted a teenager to be coming in to see an obstetrician. Tohru just smiled weakly not feeling up to explaining her story to a nurse she'd probably never see again. She gave the nurse her full name and watched her locate her name on the list on the computer screen. The nurse clicked a couple of times with her mouse before taking out a clipboard with several papers attached to it along with a pen. She handed these to Tohru telling her, "The doctor will be with you later. Fill these out please."

"Yes ma'am…" Tohru whispered before making her way back to Yuki.

She sat down in a chair beside Yuki and watched him blink several times before his eyes started to droop. Tohru bit her lip with worry hoping she hadn't disturbed him too much. Her eyes scanned the other people in the room. There was an older looking lady with a large belly in the corner reading a novel. At the opposite end of the place there was a woman in her mid-twenties with a medium sized bump skimming a fashion magazine. Both of these women were wearing wedding rings, but neither of them was here with anyone else she noticed. Tohru was clearly different from them; she was seventeen, and unmarried, but at least Yuki was with her. She had the feeling that without him she wouldn't have been able to come in here so bravely. So, would that make her lucky to have the father of her child here or was it better to be married? Either way something would be missing.

Tohru lowered her face back to the clipboard on her lap. Her hand flew across the page with the pen, recording her name, address, telephone number, and other information this place wanted. She stopped when she reached the section that read _Father's information. _Looking at Yuki she wasn't sure whether he wanted them to know he was the father or not. His gaze met hers before glancing down at the clipboard. By this time he was more awake. He stared at the papers on the clipboard, looked around the place before his eyes settled on the sign above the reception's desk, Obstetrician. Yuki was silent for a moment figuring out how he had gotten from his bed to here. His memory was a bit hazy; he didn't remember getting here properly, but he shrugged and took the clipboard from her.

"They want my information, right?" he asked her.

In response she could only nod. Her eyes remained glued to him as he scribbled down everything they asked of him. He paused for a second when he reached hair color, guessing that they wouldn't believe him if he put silver down. With a half shrug he wrote it down anyways. They could call Hatori for confirmation if they wanted to. It was the truth; his hair was naturally this unique color. If they didn't trust him, they would trust Hatori; he was a doctor and a scary one if he chose to be. Yuki smiled slightly before finishing up writing down what they wanted to know about him. He handed it back to Tohru with a gentle smile. Tohru thanked him with a grin as she got up and went back to the receptionist. 

The nurse skimmed what the two of them had written down. Her eyes shot open when she got to the hair color part of Yuki's section. She looked at him for a minute before opening her mouth to comment. The door to the doctor opened before she could say anything. Another nurse stepped out and called Tohru's name. Tohru looked at the lady before starting over to her. Yuki stood up and grabbed the bag she had forgotten on her seat. He began to follow Tohru, but was stopped by a doctor coming out from what looked like a bathroom. The doctor stopped Yuki with a stern look.

"You can't get a free appointment by stepping past the receptionist's desk. You have to pay to see me even if you have a pretty face miss," he said sticking out his finger at Yuki. Not many men came to this office, Yuki carrying Tohru's pink purse, and the fact that it was seven a.m., the doctor labeled Yuki as another knocked up woman. 

"Do **I** look like a girl? I'm a man… Besides I'm with her," Yuki responded through gritted teeth, veins popping out of his head. 

The doctor seemed to take a step back in fear but not before patting Yuki's chest several times. Tohru scurried back over before Yuki beat the poor doctor up. She took her purse from Yuki, wanting to prevent any further confusion, with a bright red face. She bowed her head to both of them and apologized for no apparent reason. Yuki just shook his head containing his anger for her. He had clearly just stated that he was here with her; if he caused trouble then there would be no doubt she wouldn't be welcome here anymore. He couldn't do that to her. There wasn't another obstetrician office for miles and miles. Without another word to the doctor Yuki took Tohru's hand and dragged her inside the small office. He wanted to get away from the doctor but to his dismay the man followed them and shut the door behind him. 

"Hello… I'm going to be your doctor for the next nine months or so… My name is Dr. Kioshi…" He introduced himself with the clipboard they had filled out minutes ago in his hands. 

"You're kidding, right?" Yuki muttered now hanging his head low. 

"No… I am completely serious Mr. Sohma…" he replied before walking over to Tohru, "Why don't you sit down and we'll get started?"

Tohru nodded and climbed onto the place where he directed her. He took the bottom of her shirt, pulled it up a sliver, and placed his stethoscope on top of her stomach listening to the heartbeat. She shivered from the cold metal after he removed it from her abdomen. Yuki watched with a flat expression from a chair in the corner of the room. He didn't want a stranger going that close to Tohru and lifting her shirt especially one that thought he was a girl. He watched the doctor carefully as if he suspected that he would rape Tohru if he looked away. Tohru looked as if she trusted him, but she was too credulous for her own safety.

"Okay… Well now that I heard its heartbeat we'll now do an ultrasound and I'll do an amniocentesis so I can get a karyotype done for you. Don't worry about the karyotype though. It's just a precaution since you're such a young mother. I'm sure your baby will be perfectly healthy. We'll call you when it's done, okay?" he explained to her quickly.

She just smiled only understanding half of the things he told her. Tohru had no idea what karyotype or amniocentesis were, but they sounded important to her. Regardless of how they sounded, she'd go through with both procedures because he said so, and he was obviously the experienced one here. The doctor left the room to go get the supplies he would need to do these two procedures. As soon as the door shut Yuki was at Tohru's side. Yuki, having Hatori as a cousin, was more familiar with the medical terms and wasn't so sure he wanted this doctor to be the one injecting a needle into Tohru's stomach. The doctor could easily kill the baby if he hit it with the needle tip, or he could hurt Tohru! Tohru jumped slightly not hearing or seeing him come over. 

"Do you like this doctor? If you don't like him or you want a different doctor, we can go to a different place… I mean it's not permanent…" Yuki said to her.

"No, that's alright Yuki-kun! I don't want to cause you trouble! If we go elsewhere you might have to wake up earlier! I wouldn't want to make you lose sleep!" Tohru exclaimed with a soft smile. 

"This isn't about me, this is about you…" 

Tohru blinked staring at Yuki not sure how to reply to this. What were the right words to say to the man who had helped her with this whole pregnancy? Yuki was the person she was most grateful to so of course she'd go somewhere else if he wanted her to, but at the same time she didn't want to trouble him anymore. He had already tossed away his virginity to help her, comforted her when she couldn't sleep, stayed by her when she vomited, and much more. Without him, she'd probably be childless for the rest of her life. It would be downright terrifying to have a man she didn't know be the father of her child whether the man slept with her or donated sperm. Adoption was an option of course, but every person would like to hold a child of their own at least once. Neither Tohru who was too immersed in her thoughts of what her pregnancy would be like without Yuki, nor Yuki who was awaiting an answer heard the doctor renter the room. 

"Mr. Sohma I can assure you that I am one of the best obstetrician's in Japan so if you would kindly move aside we can finish this," the doctor said as he entered the room again. 

Yuki sighed, not really wanting to move away. Instead of moving back to the corner like the doctor wanted Yuki to he shifted over to the other side of Tohru so there was enough room for both of them. He smiled politely and lifted his hand in a gesture that told the doctor to go on. The doctor forced a smile and stepped in front of Tohru asking her to lie down and raise her shirt again. Tohru did so and almost immediately felt a cool gel being spread across her belly. Feeling the chills run across her abdomen she almost sat up and wrapped her arms around her stomach to try and rid her body of the cold. Yuki placed his hand on her shoulder to keep her from doing so though. She took one look at him before laying herself back down to let the process move along. 

The doctor continued and pulled out a small device which he moved around over her belly. He turned around and flipped on a screen showing only static and grayish lines. Tohru raised her arms behind her back to lift her head a bit until she could see what was happening on the screen. As he moved the device around some more the screen became more focused until a picture of her insides appeared. The doctor stepped away from Tohru examining the screen for a minute before pointing to a small dot in the middle saying, "This is your baby…"

She could only stare in wonder at the screen for a whole minute before her jaw dropped attempting to find the right words to say. Yuki's gaze, like hers, was fixated on the screen with much interest. He couldn't figure out how such a small dot would grow into a child in less than nine months. The only thing that made him believe that dot was actually alive was the pumping of the heart. Otherwise, it'd blend in with everything else in the screen. The doctor moved his finger away and walked back to a tray he had set out. He pulled out a long syringe from a plastic wrap and tossed the wrap away. He held the needle in his hands as he made his way back to Tohru. In his other hand he held a swab and a bottle of anesthetic. 

"What's that for?" Tohru asked her eyes bulging at the sight of the needle. This was just a great time for her to remember her fear of needles. 

Yuki looked at her before answering for the doctor, "It's for the karyotype… Do you not like needles?" 

Tohru shut her eyes tightly and shook her head. The doctor seemed to ignore this and applied a small amount of the bromide onto a little section of her belly. He waited a few seconds for the numbness to take over before he pressed the needle through her skin. Through the whole process Yuki watched, to make sure he didn't hurt her or her only child, and held her hand to keep her calm. The doctor withdrew the liquid from inside of her and then he pulled the needle out. Tohru, who hadn't felt much of a prick, still thought that it hadn't started yet. 

"It's over Tohru. You can look now," Yuki told her as he released her hand. 

She opened her eyes one at a time half hesitantly. Half waiting for a sudden pain to strike, she glanced down at her stomach partially surprised to see no needle there. Looking back up at Yuki she remembered what he had said to even make her open her eyes and suddenly felt stupid for checking. Now he had to feel like she doubted him which was entirely not true. Tohru blinked staring at him hoping he wouldn't be mad at her and refuse to come with her to the doctor again. She didn't want to admit how scared she was of coming here and make him feel obligated to come each time. What she wanted was for him to come on his own will regardless of her fears. Swinging her legs off of her seat Tohru sat upright ready to hear more information. 

"I'll call you with the results as soon as I get them from the lab. Expect a call in about two weeks. You are free to go unless you want a printout of the ultrasound. If you want that you'll have to wait a few minutes," the doctor said as he set the needle down on the tray. 

"Can we wait a few minutes Yuki-kun?" Tohru asked softly. 

Not minding an extra few minutes in here he nodded. The doctor left with the syringe to send it out to a nearby lab. They sat there for a minute in silence waiting for someone to come back with a printout. Before five minutes had even passed the door opened again, and a brown haired woman entered holding a small envelope. She walked over with a small bounce in her steps, a wide grin across her face that strangely reminded Yuki of Tohru. Yuki and Tohru's eye's widened at the sight of her. They exchanged a nervous glance. They knew this woman from Hatori's old photos; this was no other than Kana Sohma… It was only now did the two of them remember why Kana had went to Hatori in the first place; she wanted to be a doctor. 

"Hi! This must be for you two!" she exclaimed while extending the envelope to Tohru. 

Tohru reached up with a shaky hand and took the envelope with a small smile. There was no point in saying anything to this woman who knew neither Tohru nor Yuki and for that matter, she didn't even remember much about Hatori who still loved her dearly. Seeing Tohru tremble, Kana naturally assumed it was because of her pregnancy and told her not to worry about it too much. After giving Tohru a few pieces of advice Kana smiled and left the room to go help another patient. Tohru mentally scribbled down what Kana had told her about watching what she ate and did from now on, but her mind was focused on the person who said these things. 

"I'm going to call Hatori so he can pick us up…" Yuki told Tohru partially attempting to get her mind off of Kana. There was nothing either of them could do to restore Hatori and Kana's relationship. 

"Um… Are you going to tell him about Kana-san?" Tohru asked him as she hopped off her seat.

Yuki shook his head saying, "It'd do him no good for him to know she works here."

Her mouth formed a small oval shape as she looked down. He was right; there was no point in reminding Hatori about Kana. Besides, she had seen the wedding ring on Kana's left finger. The only thing they'd end up doing is hurt Hatori which neither of them wanted to do. Tohru waited patiently for Yuki to finish talking to Hatori. When he finished he looked directly at her. She looked up at him pushing a smile across her face. No matter how hard she tried, this Kana thing wouldn't be leaving her mind for a while. 

"Do you want to wait in here or out there?" Yuki asked after he hung up his cell phone. 

"Let's wait outside please… I need some fresh air…"

He nodded willingly and took her hand leading her out the doors of the place. Outside they stood in complete silence. Their thoughts matched each other's perfectly; no words were required to let the other know what they were thinking about. But the thing about silence is, after a while, it can render you deaf. 


	8. Week 8

Tohru bit her lip and glanced back at Yuki who stood behind her on her grandfather's porch. He smiled at her and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, letting her know it'd be okay. She could only smile weakly in return. She didn't want to tell her grandfather she was pregnant. She really didn't want to, yet she had to. He deserved to know she had a child along the way at the very least. After all, she had already gone through the process without his consent, and he was her legal guardian. She took a deep breath and knocked softly on the door hoping he wouldn't be angry at her. 

Within seconds after she knocked the door opened and Tohru came face to face with her aunt. She couldn't help but subconsciously let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it wasn't her grandpa. An hour, a minute, even a second longer without seeing her grandpa would help her calm down. It would be nice to have the chance to breathe and catch her breath. At the moment, it was like she was choking, being suffocated by nothing other than her own anxiety. Tohru stared blankly at her for a minute before bowing and greeting her. 

"Hello Tohru-san, what do you need?" her aunt asked.

"Umm… Is grandpa home at the moment?" Tohru asked meekly. 

"Oh yes… Now I remember… He's been expecting you…" she mumbled and stepped away from the door to allow Tohru to enter. Tohru bowed again before walking inside and removing her shoes. Yuki hesitated before following after her. He had already offered to go with her so she wouldn't be so scared; now was not the time to get nervous. He felt the need to go with her to help her explain her situation since he had a pretty big role in her pregnancy. Mimicking Tohru's politeness and respect, Yuki bowed to her aunt as well. For the first time, her aunt seemed to notice Yuki was even there. She blushed slightly at him before looking away and leading them to the living room where Tohru's grandpa was seated in an armchair. 

"Kyoko! How are you? Come come, have a seat with your friend!" her grandpa urged her over as he set down his cup of tea. 

She nodded and took the seat on the couch across from him. He was acting so friendly and open; Tohru could only pray that his mood wouldn't change after he heard her news. Tohru had given him no hints or suggestions whatsoever when she had called her grandpa to tell him she was going to come over. She had been overly vague; luckily her grandfather was free and agreed to let her come. The little courage she had gained from Yuki had completely vanished when she looked at her grandpa. Yuki sat down beside her and greeted her grandfather calmly. Her grandfather exchanged a few words with Yuki while Tohru worked on calming her nerves. 

"Now that you have caught your breath Kyoko-san, what is it that you want to discuss with me?"

"Umm… grandpa… I went to the doctor a few months ago… and… umm…" Tohru struggled to say that she was pregnant. 

Yuki turned towards her waiting for her to say something. He could see the beads of sweat trailing down her face. She looked like a nervous wreck; he would have told the old man for her, but it wasn't in his position to tell him of her important news. Her grandpa stared at her, his forehead wrinkling out of worry. After all, she had just stopped after she told him she had gone to the doctor. He had no idea what she was going to tell him. It almost looked like she was going to tell him she had some fatal disease from the fearful look on her face. Tohru avoided the pairs of eyes from the two men in the room. She couldn't get the words out her mouth. 

"Tohru, do you have something wrong with you?" her grandpa asked in a concerned voice.

"Oh no! I'm pregnant!" Tohru cried. Her eyes widened along with her grandpa's. She clasped her hand over her mouth in horror. That was not how she was supposed to tell him. She was supposed to slowly lead up to her news not blurt it out like that. Tohru had even come up with a whole plan last night when she was supposedly sleeping. All those lines she had come up with obviously weren't needed now. Peeking up at her grandpa she got the hint at how taken aback he was by how large his eyes were. He practically looked like he just had a heart attack. 

"Umm… Well… You see… It's not what you think… I didn't get pregnant because I had s-se-sex… for f-fun…" Tohru stuttered a bright shade of red painted over her cheeks. 

"She has a medical condition is what she means… Here are her doctor forms," Yuki explained calmly and clearly. He reached over to Tohru and took the manila out of her trembling hands and handed it to her grandfather. He flipped through the pages, no readable expression passing by his face. Tohru stared down at her skirt. She gripped the hem of her skirt nervously awaiting her grandfather's reaction. She wished she was as calm as Yuki appeared to be at the moment. Then again, it was probably easier to tell a stranger than your own family member about a pregnancy, but at the same time, talking to a stranger could be twice as nerve wrecking. Especially if one wanted to impress that stranger, but Tohru doubted Yuki had any feelings towards her so there was no point in wanting her grandpa to think highly of him. 

Her grandfather looked so small and frail as he held the folder with hands almost as shaky as hers. As her grandfather looked through the medical forms and whatever other papers inside of the folder related to her pregnancy, Yuki spotted her aunt and her female cousin staring at them from the doorframe. He looked away from them with a half roll of his eyes. They thought they were hidden so well, but the truth was, he thought they were the worst eavesdroppers he had ever met. Even from his spot across the room from them he could hear them whispering. Tohru seemed to be the only one who was oblivious to their presence. 

"What do you think they're here for?"

"I don't know… Maybe if you weren't talking to me we could've heard what Tohru blurted out." 

"You don't think they're here because they're getting married or something, do you?" 

"Ew mom… Why would any guy like him like her? Especially when I'm right here… Jeez…"

How they were regarding Tohru, their own blood and family, disgusted Yuki. He felt the need to talk to them about it but refrained himself from moving away from Tohru. She needed him here to give her support more than she needed him to defend her from her own family. Her grip around his fingers was tightening with each passing second. Yuki glanced at her, his grey eyes overflowing with concern. He wrapped his fingers around hers securely trying to calm her down, but all he managed to do was make her cheeks flush. As the two woman continued to converse with each other about ideas of why Yuki and Tohru were here, they missed every word exchanged between the threesome in the living room. 

"So you must be the father of Tohru's only child then?" Tohru's grandpa said to Yuki once he set down the papers. 

Yuki nodded nonchalantly. Tohru looked up and swallowed nervously expecting her grandfather to speak to her next, but he didn't. She cocked her head to the side curiously wondering why he wasn't talking to her. Maybe he didn't want to express his anger at her when Yuki was around. She gazed at Yuki then to her grandfather but they both seemed calm. Neither of them looked mad at her. Still, she was concerned. She wanted to know what her grandfather thought, but he continued to talk to Yuki instead. 

"Will you be marrying my granddaughter then? Are you going to take responsibility of the child or are you going to leave them both to struggle on their own?" her grandfather demanded in the firmest voice she had ever heard him use.

Yuki opened his mouth to give an answer, but Tohru cut in before he could get a word out. She was so baffled and caught off guard by the question. Her grandfather wasn't supposed to ask something like that to Yuki. She couldn't let Yuki think he had that responsibility, not after he was being so helpful and supportive. There was no way Yuki would go that far with this. Surly he'd get tired of playing house with her if he did marry her. What would she do then? She was already so used to him being around and helping her. If he did marry her and assist her with the baby, that help would be something she'd expect and not be grateful for anymore. Then he'd get sick of it and abandon her. What would she do then? Tohru didn't want to find out what she'd do. She couldn't let him do any of the things her grandfather asked him of. It was going to be too much trouble for him, and it'd be too hard for her to ever let him go. 

"No!" She blurted out suddenly. 

Both Yuki and her grandfather stared at her oddly. Yuki blinked not understanding why she would respond for him. That wouldn't have been what he would have said if she had just given him the chance. Maybe he wasn't ready to get married now, maybe he wasn't ready to be a father, but that didn't mean she was prepared for either of those things. One day he would be ready for all of those responsibilities if she gave him the chance. Maybe it wasn't about how he felt but rather how she felt. It could always be that she didn't want him to be her husband and to support her. The worries flooding the two young parent's minds were so similar like a mirror image. All the while, her grandfather eyed her strangely urging her to explain her outburst. 

"Umm… I mean I'll be fine on my own! Yuki-kun doesn't have to go to all that trouble!" Tohru mumbled glancing down at her feet. She was getting uncomfortable once again and after she was feeling a little better about being here. Everything was not going to plan. All she had managed to do was blurt out she was pregnant, no, and embarrass herself numerous times. Yuki smiled at her opening his mouth to tell her something, but once again he was cut off. This time it was Tohru's grandfather who decided to speak when Yuki had something to say. Obviously something didn't want him to say anything.

"Well… If that is what you want please call me if you need any money to support yourself and the child," her grandfather said with a half smile.

"Oh no! I couldn't ask you to do that! I'll work hard for money!" Tohru cried waving her hands in front of her face. 

Yuki and her grandpa exchanged disapproving looks. Tohru gasped and bit the nails of both her hands. What had been so wrong about what she had just said? Did they both think she was incapable of working and caring for the baby? She knew she was young, she knew she was inexperienced, but she felt she could learn to be a good mother. But if they both doubted her capabilities, maybe she really wasn't cut out to be a mother. She'd have to try though. Besides, money didn't grow on trees no matter how much she wanted them to. Work was the only way to earn money so she could support the baby. Her grandfather had already done too much for her, she couldn't ask him to give her money. That would make her take advantage of her grandpa's kindness. 

"Tohru-chan, you can't do that," her grandfather told her with a firm frown.

"Umm… Why not?" Tohru whispered nervously. 

"You can't go to work and leave the child alone, can you now?" he asked slowly.

"Oh, if you want to work or something I can help you watch over the baby or whatever," Yuki offered even though he didn't like the idea of her working now that she was pregnant nor did he really want her to work when she had a baby. The moment of saying he'd help her for as long as she wanted him to, was gone. There was no point in saying that now and making her and himself embarrassed. This was good enough for now. He'd tell her someday that'd he'd be there for her until she found someone else to care for her and the baby. Until then, until someone could replace him as father he'd be there, and even if no one ever showed to take his place, he wouldn't mind helping her forever. She grinned at him placing her hands together ecstatically.

"Yay! Really? That would be wonderful Yuki-kun! …But I promise to move out and take care of things on my own so you don't have to go to all that trouble for long!" Tohru exclaimed the last part once she realized that she was depending on him again. 

"Tohru, don't worry about that. You'll always have a permanent place to stay at Shigure's place, you know that right?" Yuki smiled at her. At least he had said that much, it was better than nothing at all. That way, at the least, she knew she was welcome back at any time. Actually, he kind of hoped that she wouldn't leave. Not only would the house return to its natural state as a disaster, but he, Shigure, and even Kyo had grown so used to her being around. It would be weird living there without her. It would be strange, and he'd miss her a lot. All of the three men would miss her if she left. 

Tohru glanced down again bashfully and nodded hesitantly. She couldn't very well stay with them forever. For now, she needed to hear that it was okay that she was staying with them though. At least she knew that Yuki didn't mind her being there, but what about Shigure and Kyo when he came back? How would Shigure feel? Would he be annoyed if the baby cried at night? And Kyo, what would his feelings toward the whole pregnancy be? He hated Yuki, his reaction couldn't be good. 

"Well, then that's settled," Tohru's grandpa smiled lacing his fingers together on top of his lap.

"Eh? That's it?" 

"What else do you expect me to say? Get an abortion, I don't approve of you having a child now?" Her grandfather replied with a grin. 

She just shook her head from side to side in refusal. She couldn't lose her only child. Besides, abortion was wrong. The embryo was alive; it'd grow into a living human. How could anyone manage to end a child's life like that? Then again, that was just her opinion. Tohru smiled, stood up, and bowed to her grandfather. Now she realized, the whole time she really didn't have anything to worry about. She was lucky to have such an understanding grandpa, and for that she'd be grateful. But now she was simply tired. Having worried so much about telling her grandpa Tohru had wasted all her energy tossing and turning in her bed last night. She was ready for a long nap as soon as she got home. Yuki stood up when he saw her rise, ready to help her walk if she was as tired as she appeared to be. 

"Ready to go home?"  
"Yes… Let's go home…" 


	9. Week 9

It all started with a simple phone call. Tohru was currently preparing lunch for Shigure, Yuki, and herself as she did everyday. Shigure was in his office, writing his latest novel, and Yuki was out tending to _their_ secret base. Today was just like any other day until the phone rang. A couple of rings from the telephone made Tohru turn off the stove, wipe off her dirty hands, and scurry over to the living room to answer, but she had no idea what was waiting for her on the other end of the line. As usual Tohru greeted the person cheerfully with a wide smile across her face that a caller could never see; she got her reply in a slow almost torturous voice.

"Hello, am I speaking to Tohru Honda?" asked the voice she barely recognized. She knew this voice, even though it took her a minute for her to realize that it was her obstetrician, but why would he be talking in such a dolorous voice? The answer was simple; he had bad news to tell her. Still, Tohru expected nothing and would soon be caught off guard by his news. Tohru remained optimistic as always as she cradled the phone against her ear.

"Yes…" she replied.

"I have the results from your karyotype… You might want to sit down before I tell you this…"  
"Sit down?" She could only repeat his request like an idiot as she seated herself down on the couch, still oblivious to the dark aura that seemed to be loomed over her. Tohru was still beaming as she crossed her legs. The doctor seemed to hear the sounds from the other end and took a deep breath. Tohru was partially excited to hear the results; her brain couldn't put together the ominous tone and karyotype results together and realize she was in for something bad. The doctor didn't really want to ruin her pleasant mood and tell her what he had to, but it was his job, and she had a right to know. She was still smiling as she waited for him to tell her the results.

"…There's a problem with the chromosomes, three of them to be precise. Instead of pairs of two, two of them came in groups of three and the other came by itself. That means, you are missing a chromosome and you have two extra," he said tediously.

Tohru's eyebrows furrowed with worry. She didn't understand anything he had just said, but by the tone of his voice that didn't sound like good news at all. Tohru tried to figure out what the terms meant with no success. Were two extra chromosomes, and a missing one really going to affect a baby so drastically? Tohru didn't know the answer, and frankly she wasn't even sure what a chromosome was or what it did. She didn't exactly ace her genetics unit in school. Honestly, she had barely understood any of it, and she almost failed the course. Tohru half wished Yuki was here right now so he could explain the terms to her. He had always been rather talented in getting her to comprehend topics she didn't before, but right now he was busy so her obstetrician would have to do. She frowned and bit her lip as she asked, "…What does that mean?"

"Most likely, that you'll have a miscarriage… I'm sorry… Even if the baby survives, it won't live long," the doctor answered truthfully.

Tohru was silent, she had nothing to say. A part of her refused to believe what the doctor had just told her. Her whole body shook and trembled, her hands especially. The phone slid out of her hands and crashed onto the floor. She made no attempt to pick it up. Tohru's hand remained raised by her ear, her fingers still curved around an imaginary phone. Her fingers shook vigorously as her mouth dropped open. It took her brain a minute to register what he had just told her. Her baby wasn't going to survive, her only baby was going to die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She hadn't even taken any drugs or drank any alcohol. Women who did that were supposed to be the ones who ended up with miscarriages and deformed babies, not her. It wasn't fair. Tohru wanted to be a mother, she desperately wanted to be a mom.

"Honda-san, are you there?" the doctor called out to her.

His calls weren't heard by her. She sat there staring forward before her hand flew to her mouth, and the tears started to flow. Tohru could only stay seated there a moment longer before her legs lifted her and carried her to her room. Shutting the door behind her, she could no longer support her body. Her legs gave in and she leaned against the door, sliding to the floor. She continued to wipe at the endless rivers that flowed from her eyes. They wouldn't stop; she gave up and covered her face with both of her hands, letting herself cry her heart out. Her lip quivered and her body was tense as her tears raced down her chin dropping onto her legs and skirt, leaving wet trails behind them. Tohru's fingers clenched themselves into tight fists; anger starting to build itself up inside her body. She was more frustrated and angry than she had ever been in her entire life. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs and hit something. It was so unlike her to feel like this, and she couldn't bring herself to do anything but cry.

Meanwhile, Yuki walked into the house only to see Tohru rush past him and upstairs. His hand was extended from his attempt to stop her. She had clearly not seen him standing there. He closed his fingers into a fist, feeling something wet on the tips of his fingers from brushing against her cheek. He switched his gaze from the wet substance on his fingers and stared up the stairs at her closed door trying to decide whether he should go ask her what's wrong or to wait for her to tell him. She had seemed so distraught from something. He had no idea why, but he didn't like to see her in this state. Yuki placed a foot up the stairs, trying to rack his brain for any ideas of what had caused this sadness, but he could come up with none.

Shigure walked up to him, holding the phone Tohru had dropped, "I think you should go talk to her…"

"Why? What do you know?"

Shigure paused, thinking about how he should word his response. By the time he came up with something Yuki was already upstairs and knocking on Tohru's door. Shigure shrugged and sauntered back to the living room to put the phone away. The doctor had already informed him of what Tohru knew. He knew this was something Tohru and Yuki would have to get over by themselves. There was nothing he could do to make this problem go away no matter how much he wanted to, and because of that he chose not to go with Yuki to comfort Tohru. His job would be to be the cheerful one so Tohru had some happy influence at least. Besides, the one Tohru wanted to be comforted by was not him.

"Tohru, Tohru? Tohru, open the door…"

The only response he got from Tohru was her soft weeping. At this point his concern was doubling at the least. A few tears signaled a bit of unhappiness but from the sound of her bawls, he felt that it was a lot more than that. He stood there, feeling the urge to cry just from listening to her sobbing. Tohru wasn't supposed to cry like this; she had always been so peppy. A smile always suited her personality more than tears did. He didn't like to see her cry, and he didn't want her to, but having her cry was better than her sticking on a false smile and covering up her emotions.

"Tohru, what's wrong?" he tried again.

Still, no answer. He was about to knock again but he heard her reply in the softest voice, "I'm not going to be a mother…"

He almost didn't hear her say that. Yuki was silent for a second trying to decode her sentence with no success. He didn't understand what would make her say that unless she had a miscarriage or something like that. But that didn't make sense. She had been eating properly, she hadn't consumed any drugs or alcohol, and no one beat her. He couldn't remember her doing a single thing that would lead to a miscarriage. Tohru had been taking care of herself and the baby perfectly. There shouldn't have been a miscarriage or anything of that sort. It couldn't mean she didn't want to be a mother because she said she wasn't going to be a mother, not that she didn't want to be one. He couldn't figure out what she meant.

"What do you mean? Tohru what happened?" Yuki asked her softly.

Tohru said no more. Yuki sat down against her door, knowing it would be locked without him having to try to open it. He rested his head on his arms which were folded across his knees. Hiding his face he waited for her to calm down so she could explain what she meant. For a minute all he did was listen to her cry. She didn't seem ready to stop crying and talk yet. Yuki sighed and looked up about to make another attempt to lure her out of her room when her door flew open. He lost his balance and toppled into her room. Yuki lied on his back staring up at her tear streaked face. Her arm was covering her eyes as she wiped the water away and sniffled. She blinked and smiled, trying not to look so sad, but her eyes gave it all away. Not only were they red, puffy and tear-stained, but he could see the sadness held in the usually joy filled chocolate orbs.

"What's wrong?" He repeated his question reaching up and brushing a stray tear off the side of his face. He made no attempt to sit back upright, and she didn't try to hold back the tears any longer. She recovered her face with both of her hands again leaning over her sobs coming out all over again. Her face hovered over his own stomach, a few tears slipping through the cracks of her fingers and landing on his shirt. Yuki tentatively stroked her back hoping the cause of her tears wasn't too serious. She lost her footing and fell onto his abdomen. She was too overcome with grief to even be embarrassed about this. His fingers grazed her back, pressing down the tiniest bit, letting her know it was okay for her to remain there as long as she didn't hug him and make him transform.

After another minute of crying, a few sniffles, and a few soothing words from Yuki, Tohru managed to hinder her cries. Her body still trembled as she lifted her head and saw the dark spots from her tears that covered his shirt. She apologized, bowing her head several times. She pulled away from him dabbing at her cheeks with the hem of her sleeves. Yuki raised himself into a kneeling position. He lifted his hand and wiped away a tear she had missed that was running down her chin. Tohru looked down at her lap, her cheeks glowing red slightly. She played with the hem of her skirt knowing what he was going to ask her now. She couldn't look him in the eye knowing what she had to tell him sooner or later. Tohru wasn't even completely sure that she could tell him what she had to. It would be hard, especially since she'd sound like a wreck after crying so much. Yuki's eyes ran over her as he tried to decide whether now was an appropriate time to ask her or not. It was something serious, she might not be ready to tell him or maybe she didn't want to tell him. Her grandpa could have been in an accident, or she could have cut her finger, or she could have fallen. The possibilities were endless.

"Tohru, can you tell me why you were crying now?" Yuki persisted a bit stubbornly.

"… The baby is going to die…" Tohru whispered hoarsely.

"…What?"

Die? Why would the baby die? And how did she know this? Had she been able to secretly see into the future all along or something? Under normal circumstances Yuki would have kicked himself for thinking something that ridiculous, but his brain couldn't come up with anything else that would explain how she knew the baby would die. How would she know something like that? Yuki swallowed anxiously waiting for her to explain what she had just said. Tohru slowly drew her head up to face him with her grievous face letting him know what she had just said was anything but a joke. She looked ready to cry all over again. If she kept this up, she'd end up at the hospital from dehydration.

"The baby is going to die… I was a bad mother…"

"Wha- That can't be true… Did the doctor tell you this?"

Tohru could only nod as she struggled to choke back tears. She tried to tell herself that she had cried enough, and that tears wouldn't make the baby alright, but it didn't work. Crying hadn't even made her feel any better. Tears usually gave her a sense of relief as if some burden was lifted off her shoulders, but not this time. The pain almost seemed to increase. Still, her desire to cry was starting to overpower her will against crying. She was barely able to keep the tears from cascading down her cheeks. Staring at the brunette Yuki could sense a bit of the inner battle going inside of her, and right now, the side of her that wanted to cry was starting to win. A hardly audible whimper left her mouth as water bubbled out of her eyes. She still attempted to keep the tears from spilling over though.

"What did he say?"

"The baby… has extra chromosomes…" Tohru murmured.

Yuki was silent, not sure what he could say at the moment to make it better. There was clearly nothing he could do to fix this problem. It wasn't possible for him to fix every single cell of the baby. That was impossible yet he still felt guilty, that this was somehow his fault. This would be Tohru's only child; he could have other children if he wanted to. This wasn't fair to Tohru. Tohru did the only thing she could do, cry. Yuki wrapped his arm around her shoulders in a half hug, pulling her as close as he could without transforming. He moved his hand to the back of her head and let her press her face into his shoulder as she cried. He hated the curse more than anything at the moment. It was the only thing that was keeping him from being able to comfort Tohru properly.

Tohru cried and cried some more for her child that would soon be lost, for herself who would never get to be a mother, for Yuki because she had ruined his shirt and because she had wasted his help, for her grandpa who was starting to look forward to being a great grandfather, for Ayame and for the rest of the Sohmas who were getting excited about the child. Yuki kneeled there patting her back softly. Even though he wasn't crying, he was just as upset about this as she was. He didn't want to cry; he wanted her to be strong, he wanted himself to be stronger for this. And frankly, he wanted to believe that the doctor was wrong about this.

Seconds raced ahead, turning into minutes, the minutes piling up quickly. Neither of them knew how long they were there, but it didn't really matter to either of them. They didn't even realize that they were locked in a half embrace. Their torsos were only half a foot apart, though that was enough to keep him from transforming. The moment was too grave for it to be an embarrassing situation. It actually didn't even occur to them that Shigure had been standing behind them with the phone in his hands. They didn't even hear the phone ring, that or they didn't care that it did. Tohru had already received her _phone call of doom_, and at the moment she didn't really like phone calls. After what she had heard, it was no surprise she was starting to think all phone calls were bad,

"Ah… Yes I have found Yuki… It would seem that his hormones are acting up and he's currently taking advantage of a poor innocent girl… I'll leave him your message, buh-bye," Shigure responded in a rather joyful voice.

"Who were you talking to?" Yuki asked glaring at Shigure.

"Manabe… I believe that is what he called himself. Anyways, he says you need to go over to his place for an urgent meeting," Shigure replied.

Hearing Shigure tell anyone what he just did was enough to make Yuki want to murder him, but the fact that the caller had been Manabe made it twice as bad. Of all times for Manabe to call, he had to call now. How did he even know Yuki's phone number? Yuki didn't want to see that guy, he saw enough of him at school, and he didn't feel up to listening to his ridiculous ideas right now. Actually, he never really felt up to hearing his insane suggestions. Couldn't Shigure see that Tohru needed him now? It wasn't as if Shigure was doing anything to make her feel better. That dog really had to learn to be more considerate of other people's feelings.

"Call him back and tell him I'm not going," Yuki muttered.

"He did say it was urgent though Yuki," Shigure pointed out.

"He never has anything important to say, besides, Tohru is what is important now. He can wait," Yuki told Shigure before looking down at Tohru and asking, "Are you okay?"  
Tohru lifted her head slowly and nodded. She pulled away from him shyly with a bright red face. The last thing she wanted was for Yuki to feel obligated to stay here and comfort her the whole day. He should be free to do as he pleased. Plus, whether he knew it or not, he had already made her feel a lot better. Making him stay here would be asking too much from him. She wasn't a baby, she was supposed to be having one though; she could take care of herself at the least. She rubbed her eyes with her arm trying to erase all the signs that said she had just cried from her face. Even with her vigorous effort, it was still blatantly obvious that she had sobbed her heart out. Neither Shigure nor Yuki commented on this though. Tohru tried to smile, getting her lips to curve upwards the slightest bit. She didn't want them to be concerned about her anymore.

"You should go, you never know. It might be really serious. I should go make your lunch anyways," Tohru insisted.

"You don't have to do that. Rest and Shigure can order out or whatever," Yuki told her.

"No! I co-couldn't do that! That was the deal! I do the cooking and cleaning so that I can stay here!" Tohru squeaked. If she didn't do those things for them then there was no reason for her to continue staying here. She remembered the lunch that was sitting on the kitchen countertop that she had abandoned after the phone call. It was waiting for her to finish cooking it. All she really had left to do was chop a few more vegetables and heat up the stew. Tohru glanced up at the clock now and noticed it was past lunchtime already. Shigure and Yuki must be hungry. The least she could do was have lunch ready when Yuki came back since he was leaving without having eaten anything since breakfast time.

"Do I have to stay here then and make sure you rest then?"

"N-no…"

Yuki smiled and patted the top of her head glad to see that he was able to get her to see things his way. She was stressed, he could see that, and he didn't want her to overexert herself with work. Tohru deserved a break once in a while, and he wanted her to take one now regardless of how hungry he was. Yuki sighed, not really wanting to leave her to go to Manabe's place. Since she requested that he went, he'd go, but only for her, not because Manabe wanted him too. He'd have to trust Shigure not to be perverted while he was gone, and he'd also have to give Shigure the job of making sure Tohru rested. She was more stubborn than most people thought.

"I'll be back soon then," Yuki told her before reluctantly heading down the stairs and out the door to Manabe's place.

Tohru stood up feeling the need to finish lunch anyways even though Yuki didn't want her to. It was still her responsibility, regardless of what she was going through. Yuki had been right about her determination. When she set her mind on something, she wanted it done, and right now she wanted to cook them lunch. Shigure was the one to stop her this time. She glanced at him oddly since she knew for a fact Shigure liked her cooking a lot more than take-out.

"Tohru-kun, I agree with Yuki. I won't let you stay here anymore if you don't take a nap or something like that," Shigure said to her in a stern voice.

She gaped in horror. Tohru didn't want to leave this place. Unwillingly she obliged, giving in to the two men. After apologizing to Shigure for not being able to make him something to eat, Tohru walked back into her room. Her fatigue overcame her and she fell asleep as soon as she lied down on her bed. All that crying had worn her out, both mentally and physically. She slept for an hour until the shrill cry of the telephone awoke her. Shigure answered the phone after the first ring, letting Tohru curl back up in her bed to sleep some more until he burst into her room without knocking.

"Telephone for you," Shigure informed her as he stepped to her bedside with the phone outstretched towards her.

Tohru rubbed her eyes sleepily before taking the phone from him. Before she could thank him for bringing the phone up, Shigure was already out the door to give her some privacy. She peered down at the phone wondering who could be calling her. Was her obstetrician calling to tell her more bad news? But what could be worse than hearing that her baby would die? Nothing could be worse than that unless the police was calling her to tell her that Yuki had just been hit by a car as he was walking to Manabe's place. If that happened, she wouldn't know what to do. Normally, Tohru wouldn't be thinking so darkly she couldn't help it at this point. Her mind was clouded with grief and anger.

"Hello?"

"Hello Honda-san, this is Dr. Kioshi. I have to apologize for making a mistake earlier," he told her in an anxious voice.

"Mistake? What do you mean?" Tohru questioned.

"I mixed your karyotype up with another lady's… Your daughter has the correct amount of chromosomes. She should be born healthy," he told her.

"Daughter…" Tohru breathed in shock.

"Oh, did you not want to know the sex?" he asked slowly.

"She's going to be fine… Oh my…Oh my god…" Tohru choked out as tears streamed down her face again. She clasped her hand over her mouth crying all over again, but this time, these tears were from pure bliss and joy. There were no words that could accurately describe how she felt at the moment. She was ecstatic to hear that her baby would survive; she was crazed with excitement as her worry faded; and she felt a tad bit guilty for making both Shigure and Yuki worry. Tohru didn't even think about feeling angry at the doctor for making the mistake. Anyone else might have sued the obstetrician for doing that, but that thought never even crossed Tohru's mind.

"I'm so sorry for all the trouble…" The doctor continued, but Tohru was no longer listening.

She had heard the front door swing open and was already running downstairs to tell Yuki the good news. The phone lied discarded on top of her bed. Tohru wasn't even sure if she even hung up, but that didn't matter to her now. Tohru just wanted to tell Yuki that the baby would be fine, that _their_ child was perfectly healthy. Upon her face, was the biggest grin she had ever worn. This day had started out as the worst day she had ever experienced, but now it was starting to become one of the best. She was going to have a beautiful daughter, a daughter with the perfect amount of chromosomes. Nope, she still hadn't figured out what chromosomes were, but as long as they weren't killing her daughter anymore, she didn't mind.

"Yuki-kun! The baby is going to be fine!!!" She exclaimed as she skidded to the front door. Tohru slipped on the wood floor and toppled over backwards landing on her bottom. Through the long strands of hair that had fallen across her face she stared at the orange haired teen standing in front of her with a bewildered expression across his face. His eyes were almost as large as hers were at the moment. He was one of the last people she expected to see, even though he lived here. After standing there for a minute thinking about what she had just said he was still unable to figure out what it meant. He decided to brush it away as he walked over to help her up. He held out his hand to her and pulled her up effortlessly.

"…Kyo-kun… You're back…"


	10. Week 10

**Excuse Kyo's and Yuki's profane language!**

Tohru heard footsteps sound behind her. She turned around and saw the back of Kyo's head pass by. There was no greeting whatsoever. She cringed, not liking this coldness and awkwardness between the two of them. He was clearly still angry at her for what he had learned about a week ago. He obviously wasn't taking her pregnancy well. Tohru turned off the stove and dried her hands on a dish rag. She walked over to Kyo and placed her hand on his shoulder trying to reconcile with him. Kyo flinched straightening up before shrugging her hand off. Tohru looked down at her feet hurt by his actions, but with his back turned to her, he didn't notice it. She hated this; she hated it when people were mad at her, especially when the person who was mad at her was one of her closest friends.

"Breakfast is ready Kyo-kun," Tohru whispered.

"Not hungry."

With those two words being said Kyo walked out the door. Tohru sighed a bit disappointed. Those were the most words he had exchanged with her since she had told him that she and Yuki were going to have a baby. For the first three days, Kyo had completely avoided Tohru and Yuki. The two days after that, he refused to speak to either of them. Now, he would only say the words he had to. Kyo didn't even try to fight with Yuki, which was beyond strange. Yuki didn't really care, but Tohru was worried. Kyo hardly ate. She never saw him eat. Since he found out, Kyo refused to eat with them at the table. The only way Tohru even knew he ate was because the plateful of food she always left out for him always came back empty.

Finding herself thinking about what happened that day all over again, she sighed.

_---Flash Back---_

"…_Kyo-kun… You're back…"_

"Baby?" Kyo repeated the word as if it was some ancient curse he was forbidden to say.

Tohru looked down at the floor not sure how to respond. Nothing would come out of her mouth. She didn't know what to say to him. She hadn't expected Kyo to be back so soon. Sure he had been gone for several months, but it hadn't occurred to her that he'd be back. What was she going to tell him? She had chosen the worst words to yell out, and now there was no taking them back. Tohru had really thought that Yuki was the one who had returned, so where was he? She had to tell him that their daughter would be fine. Tohru flinched; now was not the time to be spacing out. Kyo stared at her waiting for her to respond. Tohru looked down, not saying anything. At that moment Shigure decided to waltz in and announce, "Tohru-chan is pregnant of course! Didn't you know Kyo-kun?!"

Kyo punched Shigure in the head shaking his head obviously thinking Shigure had lied. Shigure flew through the paper wall and landed outside. Kyo muttered something under his breath and rubbed his fist before looking at Tohru who was already kneeling over Shigure with a worried expression. She avoided looking at Kyo and helped the whimpering Shigure to a sitting position. Kyo walked out onto the porch peering at the two people on the floor more confused than ever. First, Tohru had come down the stairs howling about a baby and now Shigure said she was pregnant. Was this some sort of inside joke he didn't understand? If that was the case, why was Tohru adverting his eyes and acting so flustered? Whatever the case, he wanted to find out the truth now.

"That's not true is it?"

"Actually…"

"Oww… Kyo-kun you shouldn't be hitting me! Go hit Yuki! He's the one who knocked Tohru up!" Shigure blurted out as he rubbed his head.

This time, it was Yuki's turn to smack Shigure from behind. Shigure fell forward, his head smacking his knees. He remained there in the painful looking position with tears dripping down his face. One couldn't be sure whether those tears were caused from the pain he felt or from his teasing nature. Tohru clasped her hands over her mouth with terror. It was bad enough that Kyo had found out that she was pregnant through Shigure's babbling, but now he had to tell Kyo that Yuki was the father too? Kyo was going to kill her and Yuki now. If Shigure hadn't said anything at all, maybe they wouldn't need coffins for her and Yuki. Yuki loomed over Shigure with a scary aura dispensing out around him.

"I did what?" Yuki asked Shigure.

"You did though!"

"Describe it in those terms again and I'll kill you," Yuki warned as he slid off his shoes walking past Kyo without a word of acknowledgement. Kyo didn't say anything to Yuki either. He was going through what he had heard for the tenth time. If he was putting this together correctly then, Yuki and Tohru had made love and now she was pregnant. That was a disgusting thought to Kyo, and he refused to believe it. Instead, he came up with another idea, Yuki must have raped Tohru. She must have gotten pregnant that way! Little to Kyo's knowledge, a creepy expression, almost perverted, crossed his face. Yuki froze in his place and gave Kyo a perplexed look. Tohru glanced up at Yuki following his gaze until she realized he was giving that strange look to Kyo. She looked down instantly.

"Welcome back Yuki-kun…" Tohru whispered still unable to look up at Kyo.

Okay, so Kyo's rape theory just flew out the window. No matter how forgiving Tohru could be, there was no way she would act so friendly to someone who had raped her. So that left him to the conclusion that Tohru must have willingly slept with Yuki. Kyo swallowed nervously and shuddered. That couldn't be true, right? Yuki was the damn prince; he could get any girl he wanted, so why did he have to go and pick the girl Kyo wanted as well? It wasn't fair… He couldn't beat Yuki, and now he couldn't even get the girl? It was just so unfair. The worst part was that now Kyo couldn't stop imagining the two of them together.

"What the hell is going on around here?"

"Were you not listening the last several minutes?"

"You shut the fuck up! I don't want to hear anything from you!" Kyo snapped.

Kyo continued to glare at Yuki with more hatred than usual with a fist raised. Yuki remained unfazed and opened his mouth to retort something, but Tohru stood up extending one arm towards Kyo and the other towards Yuki. She didn't want them to fight over this. This was her problem and it was about time she started explaining herself before Kyo started demanding a fight. Tohru squeezed her eyes shut hoping she'd get through to the two of them, hoping there would be no fight. So far so good, she hadn't been shoved away yet, and there was no crash sound just yet. Hopefully it'd stay this way even after she told Kyo about her situation.

"Please stop fighting!" Tohru begged the two of them.

Kyo froze from shock. He wasn't sure what to say. A bit unwillingly he lowered his hand and unclenched his fist. Sighing, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes counting to ten under his breath in attempt to calm himself down. Yuki had kept his cool the whole time and continued to stand there. After a minute, Kyo opened his eyes and flashed Yuki another venomous look before turning his attention to Tohru who hadn't moved an inch. Both of her arms were still raised to keep Kyo and Yuki from fighting. She hadn't even opened her eyes yet, and she didn't until Yuki and Kyo took her arms and lowered them for her. Tohru blinked slightly embarrassed as she looked up at Yuki then at Kyo.

"You, what the hell are those two talking about?" Kyo asked Tohru sharply.

She looked down at her feet trying to figure out how to tell him her situation. Tohru shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably. Biting her lip she glanced at Yuki and Shigure for support, but neither of them said anything. Shigure continued to lie on the floor barely conscious, and Yuki looked back at her knowing this was for her to tell, not him. Shigure rolled over onto his side watching the three teens with great interest. Knowing that she was going to have to tell Kyo on her own, Tohru took a deep breath and straightened herself out. She balled her hands into fists determinedly and looked directly at Kyo with a strong front. As soon as she saw his cold demeanor, she suddenly felt smaller than a mouse. She lost all traces of her confidence and glued her eyes back on the floor.

"I'm pregnant…" She whispered in a nearly inaudible voice.

Kyo's eyes widened, "So that damn dog was actually telling the truth?"

Tohru stared down at the floor clenching the hem of her shirt tightly in her fists. She took a deep breath before lowering her head and raising it in a nodding motion. Kyo was silent for a minute unable to say anything. He had no idea what to think at the moment. Tohru squeezed her eyes shut waiting for him to lash out on her already. The whole time he was quiet was pure torture for her. Without a word, Kyo smashed his fist into the wall. Tohru jumped up out of fright. Landing back on her feet, Tohru stared at the hole in the wall with horror. Gaping, she switched her gaze from the ruined wall to Kyo's bloody fist. She reached forward to examine his wound but he jerked his hand away from her. Tohru's brows crinkled with worry, her hands remained extended in front of her.

"Did you have a good time, huh?" he asked briskly.

She stared at him not understanding what he meant. His eyes held such anger, the anger he usually looked at Yuki with. Was he mad at her? But, why would he be mad at her? Tohru still had no idea what his question was referring to. Have a good time with what? She certainly wasn't having fun carrying a baby inside of her. Tohru woke up every morning an hour before she had to because she had to throw up. It wasn't fun at all. She went on giving him her puzzled expression, and he continued to scowl. Both of them waited for the other to say something.

He peered at her before continuing, "Was it fun sleeping with a damn dirty rat? Did it please you, huh?! You gonna tell me all about your frickin' fun night?"

Her jaw dropped with bewilderment planted all over her face. She opened her mouth and struggled with something to say in response to that. Tohru couldn't come up with a thing to say back. Closing her mouth she looked down at her feet in shame. Seeing Tohru's face, Yuki punched Kyo in the back of his head. Kyo toppled to the ground. He lay there for a second before raising himself to a squatting position. Placing both of his hands over his head, Kyo shot a death glare at Yuki. Yuki's face was contorted with annoyance. He looked more enraged than he had ever been before.

"What the fuck was that for?"

"What the hell are you saying? Why don't you try listening to her for once? God damn it! Did it ever cross your mind that she had a reason? The world doesn't revolve around you, so shut your mouth already and listen to her!" Yuki snapped with ten levels of irritancy showing on his face.

Kyo scowled at his nemesis, but he remained quiet. Tohru brought her hand to her mouth and bit her finger nails. Despite her efforts to keep them from fighting, Yuki had already hit Kyo, and they already yelled at each other. What bothered her most was the fact that the cause of their fight had been her. She was beginning to regret accepting Yuki's offer to be the father to her child. It was causing nothing but problems for the two of them. Tohru could have adopted, she didn't **need** a child of her own, but it was too late to go back and change that now. Besides, she **wanted** this child.

"I um…" Tohru stuttered uneasily. She took several deep breaths before calming down enough to talk clearly. Chewing on her bottom lip, she looked up at Yuki for his reassuring smile before she finally looked Kyo in the eyes and explained her situation to him. After she finished she looked at Kyo waiting for him to say something. Kyo just sat there in complete silence.

"Kyo-kun?"

Kyo brushed passed her wordlessly. He climbed onto the roof and lay there using his arms as a pillow. He stared up at the sky thinking over what he had just learned. Over and over the story repeated itself in his mind until he hopped off the roof and punched a tree. The tree crumpled down and snapped in half. Before he fully knew what he was doing tears were trailing down his face and dripping down onto the ground. Ten collapsed trees loitered the ground around Kyo's feet. He gripped the closest tree branch and gripped it tightly as he regained his breath. The branch snapped off and Kyo hurled it into the distance. Birds squawked and flew in various directions in the area where the stick landed. Kyo brushed the tears off of his face and ran off before anyone saw him.

_-End Flash Back-_

"Tohru, please stop thinking about that day. The stupid cat will get over it sooner or later. Don't waste your time fussing over him," Yuki told Tohru. With one look at her spaced out face he knew exactly what she was thinking about, and he didn't want her to be so concerned. She was supposed to be smiling. Their baby was going to be fine; she was supposed to be happy about that, but because of Kyo, she wasn't.

"Y-yes Yuki-kun…" Tohru replied quickly as she went back to setting aside a dish of breakfast for Kyo in case he wanted to eat later.

**No Trees were harmed in the making of this chapter : )**


	11. Week 11

Tohru bit her lip as she tried for the second time to pull on the skirt she had with the largest waist size. Holding her breath, she managed to get the skirt on. Frowning, Tohru looked in the mirror. She didn't look any fatter, so why didn't any of her skirts or pants fit anymore when her tops fit just fine? Tohru grimaced when she looked back to her bed and saw the stack of her skirts and pants. She had taken out and tried on every skirt and pants she owned before she found one that fit. Putting them all away was going to be a pain, but what was the point of folding and putting them all away in her dresser if she couldn't wear them? Tohru sighed deciding to leave them there for now and stepped out of her room to start making breakfast. She had an odd craving for a strawberry and leek rice ball.

After washing a pot of rice and starting the rice cooker, Tohru got out strawberries and leeks from the refrigerator and set them on the counter. Staring at the two ingredients she had, she realized that Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure might not want to eat a strawberry leek rice ball like she did. Reopening the refrigerator, she dug out some leftover salmon from last night's dinner and some pickled plum. As she waited for the rice to cook, she sliced the strawberries, leeks, salmon, and pickled plum into thin slices so they could fit into the rice balls. Still waiting for the rice to be done, she cut the seaweed into perfect rectangles to put on the rice balls she was yet to make.

She had reorganized all of the ingredients three times before she heard the beeping from the rice cooker that signaled the rice was fully cooked. Delighted to see the rice was done, Tohru raced over to the electrical appliance and scoped some rice out into a large bowl. Tohru was unable to contain her eagerness and stuck her hands into the bowl of salt water she had set out and began molding the rice balls, regardless of how hot the rice still was. Lately, she was getting worked up over the smallest things. She hummed a joyful sounding tune to herself as she worked on her strawberry and leek rice balls. Every once in a while she couldn't help but munch on a few of them. After making several strawberry and leek rice balls for herself, she began to make regular ones for the other occupants in the house.

Tohru was so absorbed in making the rice balls that she didn't notice Kyo walk into the kitchen and take a bite out of one of her _special_ rice balls. She only became aware of his presence when he spat the strawberry and leek rice ball out of his mouth and into the trash. Disgusted by the taste of leeks in his mouth, Kyo shoved his mouth under the sink faucet and ran water over his tongue in attempt to rid his mouth of the horrid taste. Worriedly, Tohru dropped the rice ball she was molding and rushed over to Kyo's side. She wasn't sure what was wrong with him until she saw the remains of one of her strawberry and leek rice ball in his hand. Tohru gasped and flailed her arms around with concern. She knew Kyo hated leeks, and her rice balls had plenty of leeks in them.

"Kyo-kun, are you okay?!" Tohru squeaked.

Kyo pulled his head out from under the sink and held out the rice ball to her, "What the hell is this?!"

"Ah… Um… It's a strawberry and leek rice ball…" Tohru simpered in a quiet voice.

"Why in the world would you make something like that?! It tastes like SHI-" Kyo began, but he was cut off by Yuki's foot connecting with the back of his skull. Kyo fell to the ground flat on his face clearly unconscious. Being in a groggy mood because of how early it was, Yuki hadn't held back one bit when he kicked Kyo. Tohru jumped up worried about Kyo all over again, but this time she was fretting over whether he was still alive or not. To her relief when she stooped down, she found the orange haired teen still breathing strongly. With a frown, Tohru picked up bits of rice, leeks, and strawberries off of the ground. What a waste of her perfectly delectable rice ball.

Yuki squatted down across from Tohru with a tired expression across his face, "What were you doing Tohru?"

"I-I was making… er strawberry and ah um… leek rice balls…" Tohru confessed a bit ashamed by what she said.

Yuki blinked incredulously as he stared at Tohru wondering if he had heard her correctly. He had never heard of that kind of rice ball before. Looking at her bright red face, he got the feeling he had indeed heard her say 'strawberry and leek rice ball'. On the floor beside Kyo's hand was a crushed rice ball with reddish juice over pieces of leek. He guessed the red juice was from the strawberries. Yuki was about to ask her if she was feeling alright when he remembered that pregnant woman usually had strange cravings for unusual food combinations. He smiled and helped her clean up the mess he had kinda caused from kicking Kyo.

"Ah… Would you um… like one?" Tohru offered not sure what else she should say in a moment like this.

"Sure…" Yuki replied slowly. Kyo had tried some obviously, so that meant he couldn't back out of this. Tohru stood up and hesitantly held out the plate full of her unique rice balls to Yuki. He reached forward and grabbed the rice ball nearest to him and took a small bite. Tohru squeezed her eyes shut hoping Yuki wouldn't shove his face under the sink like Kyo had because her rice balls taste bad. Yuki chewed slowly and swallowed the rest of the rice ball with one bite. He had eaten the whole thing so the brunette wouldn't be so embarrassed about it. Tohru kept her eyes shut waiting to hear a gagging sound at the least, but when she heard none she began to think she had killed Yuki with her rice ball. Alarmed, her eyes shot open and scanned over Yuki, partially shocked to see that he was alright.

"Ho-how was it?" Tohru choked out anxiously.

"It was… interesting," Yuki answered honestly.

"Ah… Okay! You don't have to eat anymore!" Tohru smiled.

She cradled the plate against her chest and beamed at the silver haired teen. She was glad to know that someone else besides her could eat strawberry and leek rice balls without choking like Kyo had. It made her feel a bit saner. She could tell Yuki didn't find them as enjoyable as she did, but the fact that he had eaten the whole rice ball without turning green made her happy.

"You're lying you damn rat! Those rice balls taste like crap!!!" Kyo yelled as he jumped to his feet.

"That's just rude…" Yuki muttered as he grabbed one of Tohru's rice balls and shoved it into Kyo's mouth to keep him silent. Kyo pawed at his mouth before running to the trash and spitting the rice ball out. Glaring back at Yuki, Kyo thrust his finger out at Yuki angrily, opening his mouth to demand a fight, but he shut his mouth when he remembered he wasn't supposed to be talking to either of them. With that thought back in his mind, Kyo darted out of the room wordlessly fuming. Tohru's jaw dropped as she watched him go. She looked down a bit upset to see that Kyo was still mad at her. Tohru squeezed the plate closer to her body and decided to change the subject before any tears spewed out. It really bothered her that one of her close friends was angry with her.

"I guess I really am weird, huh? I never wanted to make this before… I just… I don't know…" Tohru stammered embarrassedly hugging the plate tightly against her chest.

"No, it's pretty natural because your hormones are changing, or something like that," Yuki told her with a smile.

"Really?" Tohru breathed.

"Yeah, I read something about that the other day. So don't worry about it," Yuki replied.

Tohru let out a breath of relief and grinned broadly. It was nice to know she wasn't going crazy. She looked down hungrily at the plate of her rice balls in front of her before she sighed and went back to finishing breakfast for the other occupants of the house. It would be rather rude and inconsiderate of her if she ate her rice balls before she made some for the others. Trying her best to ignore her hunger, Tohru went back to molding the normal rice balls. She had a difficult time focusing on the rice balls when she could hear her own stomach growling. Tohru bit her lip as she prayed that Yuki hadn't heard that sound coming from her, but to her dismay, he had heard it. Yuki chuckled before standing up and going over to her.

"Do you need any help?"

"Ah… Um I couldn't ask you to do that!" Tohru cried waving her hands in front of her as a gesture of refusal. With each sway of her fingers and hands, grains of rice were sent flying around the kitchen. Yuki grabbed onto her wrists, keeping them from moving anymore, before she gave herself the most difficult cleaning task she had ever encountered. Her cheeks darkened as she stared up at Yuki. She looked away from him and began to notice the rice ball ingredients spotting the floor, countertops, and kitchen appliances. It would take her at least an hour to get this kitchen spotless again.

"I know my cooking skills aren't exactly wonderful nor can they come close to how good your cooking tastes, but I'm sure I can mold some rice as long as you show me. If they look bad, I'll eat them, okay? Besides, I can tell you want to eat real soon," Yuki responded.

"Well… If you're sure you want to I'll show you…"

Yuki nodded and pushed up his sleeves to show her how serious he was about helping her. Tohru glanced at him before giving him a step-by-step demonstration on how to make rice balls. First, she dipped her hands in the salt water, then she grabbed a handful of rice. Next, she placed a slice of salmon in the middle of the rice ball and began to mold it into a triangular shape, and finally, she wrapped a piece of seaweed over the bottom of the rice ball. After she had showed him how to make a rice ball, she peered up at Yuki to see if he understood her actions.

"Did that make sense? Did I make it too fast? Should I do it again?" Tohru asked quickly.

"No… That was perfect… Now I just hope I can make something half as good," Yuki replied.

"I couldn't possibly make something _perfect_! Kyo-kun makes really good rice balls! Maybe he could show you how to make a better rice ball! Ah, but he's still mad at us, isn't he?" Tohru rambled aimlessly as she subconsciously made a couple more rice balls.

"Don't worry about the stupid cat. You were an excellent teacher, but I'm not sure I'll be such a good student… Well here goes nothing…" Yuki muttered as he attempted to mimic her actions. His result was a semi-triangular rice ball that resembled a literal rice **ball **more than anything else. It looked decent enough if you ignored the fact that half a piece of salmon was showing, and the seaweed was crooked and hanging off the rice. Yuki peered at his pitiful excuse for a rice ball. Maybe he should stay away from the kitchen as much as possible if this was the kind of thing he'd end up making. He wasn't sure if anyone would want to eat this.

"That looks beautiful Yuki-kun!" Tohru exclaimed.

"You think so? I think it kinda looks like something a five-year-old made in arts and crafts time at school," Yuki commented with a soft laugh.

"When I was six I made my first rice ball, it looked more like a pancake…" Tohru admitted with a childlike grin before adding, "So yours turned out well for a first-timer!"

Yuki smiled at her. She really had a way of making people feel better even though she had a lot on her mind. They continued making breakfast together, and by the end, Yuki could make a rice ball that was only slightly round. When they had made more than enough for themselves and for Kyo and Shigure, Yuki helped Tohru set them out on the dining table. Seeing as Kyo was still out sulking somewhere and Shigure was busy _working on his novel _(or taking a nap), they decided to begin eating on their own, Tohru eating her strawberry and leek rice balls and Yuki eating his oddly shaped ones.

"Oh, by the way Tohru, is that a new skirt? I've never seen you wear that before."

"Oh, I uh… No, it's not new… I just never wore it before because it was too big, but now nothing else will fit," Tohru looked away from him a bit embarrassedly.

Tohru didn't have the courage to look up at him after she had told him that. Both of them knew her weight gain had to do with her pregnancy, but Tohru still found it awkward to tell him that she couldn't fit into anything besides this skirt. Yuki opened his mouth to offer to take her shopping for maternity clothes, but before he could get a word out, Shigure slid open his office door and flocked into the scene. He had a mischievous look upon his face as he skidded over to the table. Yuki grimaced when he saw the dog as Tohru choked out a greeting. The two gestures were brushed aside by Shigure who had _better _things to say.

"My, my, my… Did I just hear what I think I just did? The signs of pregnancy are beginning to show! We must take Tohru-kun shopping for new shirts, skirts and under-"

Yuki whacked Shigure across the head before he could finish saying _undergarments_. Did Shigure have to be such a pervert and add undergarments? Was he incapable of just saying new shirts and skirts? Shigure did have a bit of a point though. They did have to take Tohru shopping for new clothes. She couldn't wear the same skirt until she outgrew that too. Her belly was going to grow, and she needed more clothes that she could fit into. Tohru didn't see things exactly as they did. She flapped her arms around frantically, "Oh no! I couldn't ask you to waste your time and take me shopping! I can go on my own!"

Shigure simply smiled and took a seat in between Yuki and Tohru while he picked up a rice ball that Yuki had made. He examined the round ball in his hand with raised eyebrows. Bringing the rice ball closer to his face, he noticed the pickled plum hanging out of the rice ball and the piece of seaweed that was barely clinging to the grains of rice. He gave it one whiff before setting it back down on the plate with disapproval. Shigure spun the plate around and chose a properly made rice ball that Tohru had shaped and popped it into his mouth.

"Tohru-kun… It's no problem, but next time, please don't accept Yuki's offers to help you cook anymore," Shigure told the brunette seriously.

Neither of them could even get in a word before the front door came down with a thunderous crash. A flash of orange hair zoomed passed the trio followed by a bob of short brown hair. The blobs of colors raced upstairs, and another slam was heard before silence. Tohru tilted her head to the side with confusion. She had no idea what had just happened or who had run by even though there was only one _couple_ that had such a destructive relationship.

"Kyo darling!!! Open the door!!!!" Kagura hollered as she shoved her hands through the paper door.

"Ack! Get AWAY FROM ME!" Kyo snapped.

The sound of glass shattering and a thump was heard by the threesome downstairs. They could only guess what happened from that point. It would seem that Kyo shut his bedroom door before Kagura could catch him, then she broke through the paper door, but before she could get him in her grasps the cat jumped out the window. Yuki shook his head as Shigure stuffed another rice ball into his mouth and Tohru gripped the hem of her shirt nervously. She was worried about Kyo's life at this point. After a minute or two, Kagura came down the stairs with an aura of depression surrounding her. Kyo was nowhere in sight which could either mean he got away or that Kagura had murdered him. She sank down on the floor across from the trio and dropped her head down onto the table.

"Kagura-san! Are you alright?!" Tohru asked her worriedly.

"Eh? I'm fine, but Kyo-kun was the one who leaped out of the window and ran away," she sighed, "I thought he might be happier to see me since well you're gonna marry Yun-chan, but I guess I was wrong…"

"Ma-marry Yuki-kun?!" Tohru stuttered in a bewildered voice.

"Yeah, I mean you are having Yun-chan's baby, right? So aren't you gonna marry him?" Kagura asked with a small smile as she faced Tohru.

"I-I couldn't ask Yuki to do that! That would be asking for too much! I mean he has already helped me so much!" Tohru said with a deep blush coating her cheeks.

She covered her cheeks with her hands hoping no one had seen how red they were. Having Yuki's baby was a gift she couldn't even begin to describe, but having him marry her just because she was having his baby would be overstepping her boundaries. She wanted him to be able to marry whomever he wanted to marry; she wanted him to marry someone he loved. Pondering over Kagura's words, Tohru didn't notice the light blush coating Yuki's cheeks. His thoughts were nearly a perfect reflection of her thoughts. He wanted Tohru to marry someone she loved. Shigure smiled devilishly at the two blushing teenagers before looking at Kagura.

"Kagura-chan! Most perfect timing! Since Yuki-kun doesn't want dear old me to take Tohru-kun shopping for maternity clothes, you must go in my place," Shigure whined to Kagura as he clasped both of his hands over Kagura's shoulders.

Kagura slipped out of Shigure's clutches before sliding over to Tohru's side. Tohru pouted slightly, a bit upset with Shigure for telling Kagura that. She didn't want Kagura to feel obligated to take her shopping. At least she wasn't troubling Yuki to go with her. She didn't see why Shigure felt compelled to tell Kagura that. Tohru could go shopping on her own, couldn't she? Shigure never asked anyone to go shopping with her when she went grocery shopping so maybe he just thought she had poor fashion sense!

"Do you need to go shopping? I'll be happy to go with you!" Kagura sang merrily.

Kagura was already dragging Tohru out the door before anyone could stop her or protest. The last thing Yuki could see was Tohru flying across the street, her hand attached to Kagura's as the boar ran them to the nearest bus stop. Yuki glared at Shigure, clearly blaming him for the "kidnapping" of Tohru. Shigure just grinned innocently in return as he shoved another rice ball into his mouth. Yuki muttered something about hoping Shigure would choke before he walked up to his room.

Around two hours later Tohru and Kagura returned, each one of them holding a very large bag. Shigure was the first one to pop up in front of them with a perverted expression across his face, "So what did you buy Tohru-kun? Lingerie?"

"Li-linger-lingerie?" Tohru sputtered nervously.

"Die you lecher," Yuki mumbled as he kicked Shigure from behind. Shigure fell to the ground harshly. Tohru was the only one who seemed concerned about the novelist. She eyed Shigure's body fretfully searching for any signs of life. A grunt escaped Shigure's mouth, and that was enough to convince Tohru he was alright. She turned around to Kagura and lowered her head with appreciation.

"Thank you Kagura-san for going shopping with me! Please stay for lunch as my thank you!"

The boar happily complied and helped Tohru put away her new clothing. Yuki would have offered to help, but unlike Shigure, he didn't want Tohru to get flustered if he saw any of her more private articles of clothing. The rat nudged Shigure into a corner where Tohru wouldn't trip over him and picked up a book he had borrowed from the library. When the two girls returned downstairs, Shigure was still on the floor with his bottom in the air, and Yuki sat idly in the living room flipping through a book. Tohru insisted Kagura go sit down before she scurried off to the kitchen to prepare lunch for everyone. Kagura unwillingly left the brunette to herself and went to sit by Yuki. Yuki would definitely be a better companion than an unconscious Shigure.

"What are you reading Yun-chan?" Kagura asked curiously.

"A book about pregnancy…" Yuki muttered as he flipped the page.

"Why?"  
"What do you mean 'why'? I'm reading it so I can answer whatever questions Tohru may have so she won't panic…" Yuki explained nonchalantly.

Kagura's mouth formed into a small 'o'. She plopped her head on top of the palms of her hands obviously bored at the moment. There was nothing for her to do here. It turned out Yuki wasn't that much better at keeping Kagura company than Shigure would have been. Another half an hour passed before Tohru walked into the room with a large platter in her hands. Setting his book down on the table, Yuki stood up and took the serving dish from Tohru and set it in the center of the table for her. Tohru bowed her head with gratitude to Yuki before she returned to the kitchen to get out plates and eating utensils. Kagura smiled at this thinking to herself that the two of them looked like a husband and wife for a moment. Deciding to save her cousin and his _wife _the embarrassment, she kept the comment to herself.

"Ooh! Yummy, food! What did you make?" Shigure asked as he magically regained conscious and took a seat at the table.

"Cod and strawberries!" Tohru answered with a grin across her face.

With those three words, the three people seated around the table dropped their chopsticks in unison not sure whether they wanted to eat this meal anymore.

**Tohru has a fetish for strawberries: ) I think a craving involving strawberries suits Tohru best! n.n**

**Asan-chan got her tablet yesterday ♥ Updates may be hindered by this delightful creation though her deviantart account will now have colored entries! (Her deviantart account has a drawing for "The Result") **


	12. Week 12

Tohru sat outside on the grass beside Uo and Hana and across from Yuki. The four of them were eating lunch together as usual. Kyo decided to eat inside to avoid seeing Tohru and Yuki like he had been doing since he got back to school. Tohru smiled and stuffed another strawberry and leek rice ball into her mouth. As embarrassed as she was to be eating such things in front of her friends and other classmates that might walk past, she couldn't suppress her desire for the food dish she had created. Uo continued to give her an odd look as Tohru ate the rice balls, Hana remained expressionless as usual, and Yuki was unfazed since he already saw her eat them before and knew how much she loved strawberry and leek rice balls.

"Tohru, you're gonna get sick if you keep eating weird food combinations like this," Uo warned Tohru.

"Ah… Is it really that weird?" Tohru asked worriedly as she eyed one of her rice balls.

Uo made a face and took the rice ball out of Tohru's hands. She examined the object in her hands for the tenth time. Bringing her hands to the tip of her nose, she was disturbed by Tohru's food choice and handed it back to Tohru without another word. Ashamed to be eating them once again, Tohru just held onto the rice ball. She had restrained herself from bringing them to school for this reason, but she brought them today because Yuki had caught her this morning. He had realized how much she craved them and told her to pack them for her lunch. Even with her unique lunch, she still made Yuki a normal one with various kinds of sushi that didn't contain any strawberries whatsoever.

"Tohru-kun, it is fine with me whatever you choose to consume as food," Hana told Tohru in her monotone voice as she wrapped her arms around her friend.

Tohru smiled, and the four of them continued on with their meal. No one else in school dared to comment on Tohru's food choice to keep themselves from being murdered seeing as Tohru is best friends with both an ex-Yankee and a physic. There was no telling what would happen to anyone who made fun of Tohru's food choice. They could either be shocked by electric waves, cursed by Megumi, or beat to death by an iron pipe, and even though not a single soul suspected it, Yuki wouldn't let them go without at least yelling at them and maybe beating Kyo up later just to vent his anger (just another reason for Kyo to stay angry at him).

"So Tohru, is that a new uniform?" Uo asked trying to change the subject to Tohru's dark new-looking uniform.

At this, Tohru looked away embarrassedly and nodded. Was it really that obvious that she got a new uniform? She could easily say she ripped her old one on accident seeing as she was so clumsy, but she didn't want to lie to her best friends. They had been so supportive and helpful since she told them she was pregnant; she couldn't do a thing that would jeopardize their friendship no matter how embarrassing it was to say that she couldn't fit into her old one. Uo and Hana were now looking at Tohru, waiting for her to explain to them why she had a new uniform in the first place.

"I uh… My other one was too small…" Tohru stuttered with her face turned towards her lap.

"Ah… I see, so the baby is growing. Nothing to be embarrassed about," Hana commented as she patted Tohru on the shoulder.

"Ah ha… I guess that's true, but I don't know what I'll do when my belly gets really big… I don't think I will have enough courage to go to school anymore," Tohru admitted shyly.

"Don't worry Tohru. You never really cared about what others thought about you, have you? Why should it matter then? I'll still lo- I mean we'll still care about you," Yuki told her with a smile.

Tohru peered up at him trying to keep a blush from appearing on her face, but she failed miserably. She looked away from Yuki and her friends in attempt to hide her red face from them. If they looked at her, she was positive that they would learn of her little crush on a certain someone. Tohru still couldn't believe she was carrying his baby inside of her belly. After stealing a glance at her stomach, she peered around herself to keep her eyes away from Yuki and her friends. Her eyes settled upon one of the second floor windows of their classroom. She could see Kyo's orange hair from where she sat. As if he could feel eyes on him, Kyo glanced out the window. When he realized it was her who was watching him, he looked away instantly. Tohru stared down at the grass a bit disappointed with the progress she was making with fixing her friendship with Kyo. He still avoided her and Yuki as much as possible. Subconsciously, she rubbed her abdomen.

Yuki watched Tohru, believing he had just said something that might have offended her. Usually to a comment like that, she'd get flustered and start apologizing or get teary eyed with joy, but this time she looked away before he could read any reaction from her. Uo and Hana watched Tohru as well for a minute, but they weren't worried at all. Unlike Yuki, they had spotted the pink tinge of her face before she turned her head away, and unlike Tohru, they had understood what he had started to say before he replaced it with a stupid line about caring for her. Feeling a bit nice today, they decided to continue their conversation to distract Yuki from his concerns while Tohru worked on getting her face back to its normal color.

"Who are you referring to by 'we'?" Uo remarked with a smirk.

"Well, I meant you, Uotani-san, you, Hanajima-san, the other Sohmas, and myself," Yuki explained simply.

"I see…" Hana remarked as she bit down on another chip. Everyone went on eating. The conversation basically died without Tohru there talking to everyone. She was the one who got them all to be friends after all, but even after five minutes of complete silence, she was still rather embarrassed about what Yuki had said. He might not be aware of it, but that small comment had made her extremely happy on the inside. It meant a lot to her to hear that he would still care about her regardless of what she looked like. Those feelings weren't exactly the type she was aiming to receive from Yuki, but they still made her smile.

"Tohru, you better get back to eating. Lunch is going to end soon, and then you won't be able to finish your rice balls anymore," Uo informed Tohru.

"…I'm full now," Tohru replied.

Tohru peered up at her friend and then down at her food. She smiled faintly and covered her lunch box leaving three untouched rice balls inside. She picked up her used napkins and stood up. Tohru held out her hands for Uo's, Hana's, and Yuki's trash before she wandered over to a nearby trashcan to toss out the garbage. As she threw away the trash, Yuki picked up his and Tohru's lunchbox before getting up. Uo and Hana joined him in the wait for Tohru to return. After she came back and apologized for making them wait, the four of them returned to the classroom barely getting in before the bell rung. Along with the rest of the students, they took their seats as Mayu entered the room.

Yuki sat at his desk in the back of the room partially listening to the lecture and jotting down a note here and there in his notebook. Glancing over at Tohru who was quickly writing down the lecture word for word, he remembered that he still had her lunchbox along with his on his desk. He patted Tohru's shoulder and handed her the pink lunchbox with a smile. Her eyes widened at the sight of her lunchbox, but she smiled and thanked him quietly before slipping the box into her backpack. With that settled with, Yuki went back to doodling in his notebook though he wasn't fully sure what he was attempting to draw, and Tohru went back to writing down the lesson.

Kyo, who sat on the other side of Tohru since there were no other available seats, had seen the whole interaction between Yuki and Tohru even though he had tried to focus on Mayu instead. He really didn't want to be sitting here, so close to the two people he didn't want to be around. Kyo had some notes written down unlike Tohru who had everything written down and unlike Yuki who had something that looked like a cross between a stick figure and a chicken without a head drawn in the center of his notebook. Surprisingly, Yuki was the one who was getting the best grades out of the three of them, and Tohru was getting the worst, but it was obvious that Tohru put in the most effort.

Feeling a wave of nausea wash over her, Tohru clutched her stomach. This was unusual. Her morning sickness usually ended before she got to school. She dropped her pencil and placed her other hand over her mouth to keep herself from throwing up all over her notebook and desk. She couldn't run out of the room and into the bathroom now and miss the rest of the lecture, but the queasiness in her stomach was making it hard for her to refrain from vomiting. Tohru took in a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down, but that only seemed to make her feel worse. Abruptly, she hopped out of her seat and ran out of the room. The greenish color of her face made it obvious to Mayu and the rest of the class where her destination was.

Yuki's eyes were locked on the open door that Tohru had just darted through. He stared there worriedly for a second before standing up himself. He had to see if she was alright.

"Sensei, I'll go take To- Honda-san to the nurse," Yuki told Mayu before quickly making his way out of the room. He muttered to himself to be more formal towards Tohru when they were at school to prevent his fan club from getting suspicious. At least no one commented or stopped him. If they had tried to stop him, he didn't hear them, and at the moment, he didn't really care what they wanted him to do. It wasn't like he was doing much in class anyways, unless you counted doodling something. He paused outside of the girls' washroom and knocked hopping this was the one Tohru was in. It seemed to be the correct one since he could hear someone puking inside. Then again, that person could be some bulimic girl.

"Tohru… Are you in there?" Yuki called to see if it was Tohru or a bulimic classmate of his.

He heard someone vomit one more time before the girl turned on the sink, most likely to wash her hands and rinse out her mouth. She mumbled something to him which he couldn't understand, but it sounded like Tohru's voice to him. After another minute, the door opened, and he was greeted by a weak smile from Tohru. She had her eyes glued to the ground out of embarrassment for running out like that. Tohru was a bit ashamed to have worried Yuki as well. Yuki was too busy checking her over for any signs of physical discomfort to notice her mental anxiety. Noticing how tired she looked, he took her hand and tugged her gently down the hall in the direction of the nurse's office. Startled and still a bit woozy, Tohru jerked her hand away from Yuki. He glanced back at her and tilted his head to the side with confusion.

"I'm taking you to the nurse's office," Yuki explained and held his hand out to her again.

Tohru looked up at him shyly and placed her hand back in his. He rewrapped his fingers around hers and gave her hand a comforting squeeze as they walked in silence to the nurse's office. Neither of them had anything to say to the other. Both of them knew the cause of her _illness_, and they both knew they shouldn't talk about it at school where anyone could overhear them, so they chose to remain silent instead. Yuki paused in front of the infirmary and released her hand to open the door for her.

"Yuki, why are we here? There's no medicine to make me better…" Tohru commented.

"I want you to rest," Yuki responded simply.

Before she had time to even get embarrassed or even blush, the nurse walked over to the two of them. She glanced over the two of them seriously to pick out whoever was the one who was sick or injured. Frightened by the nurse's close proximity, Tohru grabbed onto Yuki's arm and partially hid herself behind him. Just from this action, the nurse assumed Tohru was the one who needed attention and grabbed one of her hands tugging her away from Yuki without a word. Tohru followed the nurse with a baffled expression until the nurse stopped and nudged her down onto the recovery couch. She stuck a thermometer into Tohru's mouth as Yuki walked in to explain her situation for her.

"Um… Sensei, she just needs to lie down and rest…" Yuki told the nurse.

"And why should a student be able to stay here just to lie down?" the nurse asked as she withdrew the device from Tohru's mouth, "Other students come here too, you know that?"

"I-I threw up…" Tohru breathed.

The nurse nodded accepting that as an adequate reason for Tohru to remain here. She gently pushed Tohru down into a lying position on the cot. Tohru remained there but looked at Yuki with worried eyes. She didn't want to stay here by herself and miss the lecture. No one else took notes like her though her notes didn't seem to help her get better grades. Understanding what her look meant, Yuki patted her arm. He didn't want her to worry about her grades and graduating at the moment; he was more concerned about her health. Yuki would choose to have her drop out of high school and be strong and healthy over her being top of the class and dying, but that might not be what she wanted.

"I'll come by after school to pick you up. Don't worry, I'll get your stuff and ask for your homework and get Hanajima-san's notes for you. I can go over the lecture with you at home, so relax and get some rest, okay?" Yuki remarked before the nurse kicked him out of her office.

Yuki did as he promised and returned to the nurse's office after class was over. Uo and Hana followed behind him, concerned about Tohru's health. They found Tohru lying in the bed fast asleep. The three of them exchanged looks wondering whether they should awake Tohru or not since she seemed to be in a deep peaceful sleep, but Tohru's eyes opened as soon as they reached her bedside as if she sensed they were there. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and stared at the three of them for a minute before she pushed the thin blanket off of her body and stood up.

"Sorry to trouble all of you," Tohru apologized with her head lowered.

"There was no trouble, but if you are not feeling well you should refrain from coming to school," Hana advised.

"I bet it's because of your lunch," Uo said seriously.

"Ah-ha… Maybe you're right," Tohru agreed with a simper across her face. She didn't bother to mention the fact that she had been eating strawberries mixed in with every meal for the entire week. She was just happy to see her friends. Staying in the nurse's office by herself and listening to students groan and moan in pain had scared her. As silly as it sounded to her now, she had wished Yuki had stayed with her in the nurse's office, but she didn't dare to tell him that. She knew that if she had, he wouldn't have gone back to class, and she didn't want to bother him so much.

"Well here are your things," Yuki smiled as he held out her backpack to her along with Hana's black notebook. He had tried his best to take notes for her when he got back to the classroom, but he really wasn't good at it. He kept staring off out the window instead of listening to the lecture no matter how hard he tried. Yuki just wasn't used to paying attention in class. Hopefully, he'd still be able to get Tohru to understand the lesson when they got home. If she was still confused, he had Hana's notebook since she took notes almost as detailed as Tohru did. She didn't do this so she could study, but just in case Tohru spaced out and missed part of the lecture. Uo wanted to help Tohru too, but her notebook had less notes than Yuki's.

"Thank you Yuki-kun," Tohru replied gratefully as she took her things.

"You're welcome… Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes, thanks to you I feel a lot better!"

"That's good to hear. Can you walk home or do you want me to call Hatori for a ride?" Yuki asked.

Yuki didn't want Tohru to walk back home, even though they lived less than a mile from the school, if she still felt queasy. Hatori probably wouldn't mind driving Tohru home anyways since the doctor cared a lot about Tohru like every other Sohma. Tohru didn't want to trouble anyone if she could help it though. She still felt a bit light headed, but that wouldn't stop her from walking home. Besides, she enjoyed being able to talk to Yuki as they headed to Shigure's house. Her walks with Yuki were one of those things she looked forward to and thought about when she felt sick or depressed. It was her own way of cheering herself up.

"No, no! I can walk! Don't worry about me!" Tohru cried with her fist raised in the air to show her determination.

"Well then, be careful Tohru, and sleep early! We'll see you tomorrow," Uo said as she and Hana left the nurse's office together.

"Bye Uo-chan, Hana-chan!"

"Ready to go?" Yuki looked at her.

Tohru nodded, and the two of them made their way out the door together. Yuki walked a bit slower just in case she wasn't being completely truthful about how she felt. He held the door open for her once again. She thanked him softly before walking out of the infirmary. To their surprise, they found a scowling Kyo leaning against the wall next to the nurse's office. A look of relief crossed Kyo's face when he saw Tohru walking and smiling, but he quickly covered it up with a sharp, angry look. Yuki raised his eyebrows at the orange haired teen while Tohru gaped at him. Both of these reactions were ignored by Kyo.

"What are you two looking at?" he snapped with a light pink blush covering his cheeks.

"Ah! Nothing! Let's go home together!" Tohru exclaimed.

Kyo didn't say anything back to her. Realizing how stubborn Kyo really was, Yuki shook his head and grabbed Tohru's hand leading her out of the school. The cat kept quiet but walked with them down the hall. Tohru kept glancing over at him happy to have him join them like before her pregnancy. The journey home was a silent one, but Tohru grinned happily nonetheless. She was glad to have Kyo with her and Yuki on their walks home once again even if Kyo walked five feet ahead of them. It was better than having him sprint off or trail a couple of blocks behind them. Hopefully, with time, Kyo would forgive the two of them, and they could become close friends again. It might not be the same friendship as before, but she still wanted the three of them to be friends no matter what happened in the future.

**This chapter probably wasn't edited well considering that it's 1 a.m. But I hope there aren't too many errors!! Sorry for the delay on the update! I'll try to update on my birthday (July 9). You guys should totally spoil me with gifts! Write me Yukiru fanfics, draw me Yukiru fan art, review, or spoil me on Gaiaonline! Or just say happy birthday or whatever! ♥**


	13. Week 13

At the beginning of the week, they had just been faint murmurs spoken by a few, but by the end, they had spread through the school like wildfire. The rumors about Tohru being pregnant were now the topic everyone was talking about. Apparently, one student had overheard Tohru talking to Uo and Hana about having a new uniform, and she had told her friends who were part of the Yuki Fan Club about it. This brought about the question of why Tohru would need a new uniform. Of course, a few gave Tohru the benefit of the doubt and settled with thinking Tohru tripped and ripped her old one, but someone pointed out how chubby Tohru looked. From there, a couple of students got most people to believe that a pregnancy was probably what made Tohru a bit rounder in the abdominal area.

The rest of the Yuki Fan Club, being the Tohru Honda haters they were, had already assumed Tohru was indeed pregnant and were maliciously twisting the story around, making Tohru seem like some sort of prostitute. By the end of the week, there wasn't a single person in the school who didn't think Tohru was pregnant, a whore, or both. Everywhere she went, the rumors came along except when Yuki was with her. When Yuki was beside her, the fan girls were too distracted by _their prince_ to bother with the gossip. Because of this, Yuki was unaware of what Tohru was going through every day she came to school, and Tohru was too timid to tell him herself. In the end, there were just some places Yuki couldn't follow her to, like the girls' locker room where she was now.

Tohru was trying her best at this point to ignore what they were saying about her. They weren't even trying to keep her from realizing they were talking about her anymore. Girls a few steps away from her discussed it as if they didn't know she was three feet away from them. She clutched her school uniform tightly against her chest and squeezed her eyes shut in attempt to drone out the noise around her instead of changing out of her gym outfit. Tohru finally opened her eyes when she heard footsteps nearing her. She stared at the girl with short black hair in front of her; it was Mio, another member of the Yuki fan club.

"Hey, Honda-san, is it true? Are you really pregnant?"

"Eh?"

Tohru blinked with terror. She didn't mind it as much when they were talking about her behind her back or even when they were gossiping about her in front of her face, but what was she supposed to do when one confronted her about it like this? Tohru bit her lip as she looked around the locker room for some sort of sign to tell her what to do. Finding no such thing, Tohru found herself gazing down at her feet as she muttered some incoherent response that even she herself couldn't understand. Mio was about to ask her for clarification when Uo and Hana draped their arms around Tohru's shoulders.

"What kinda dumb ass question is that?" Uo demanded angrily.

"Yes, I must say that is quite a ridiculous remark. Does she look like a mother to you?" Hana added.

"I uh…"

It was Mio's turn to be the stammering idiot. She blushed faintly and decided to shake her head. If she wasn't the nicest member of the Yuki fan club, she probably would be pointing out every single thing about Tohru that led them to believe she was pregnant, but Mio didn't. She really wasn't a Tohru Honda hater like the rest of the Yuki fan club; she was just a Yuki admirer. The only reason she had asked that was because of her childlike curiosity.

"I swear, if any of you bother Tohru again, we'll kill you," Uo warned every girl in the locker room as she brandished her iron pipe.

Hana nodded in agreement with deadly looking electric waves radiating off of her body. Uo continued to wave her pipe around dangerously until all the girls in the room backed away into a corner and nodded. Even wearing only their underwear, Uo and Hana still looked malicious. The only reason they didn't hurt anyone and went back to changing was Tohru's arm flailing and pleas for them to stop. The potential threat on the lives of the gossipers disappeared, and everyone besides Uo and Hana uneasily went back to getting dressed.

Unlike the other jittery girls, Tohru was apprehensive for a different reason. She was thinking over Mio's question. If Uo and Hana hadn't stepped in, Tohru wasn't sure what she would have done. There wasn't any way for her to respond to Mio's question without confessing that she pregnant which she didn't want every student to know at the moment. She couldn't deny it either since she hated lying. She couldn't very well keep her stomach from growing without losing her baby. Everyone would discover the truth sooner or later, but she wanted them to be oblivious to her condition for as long as possible.

For now, Tohru decided to try her best not to pay any attention to the gossip. She knew that Uo and Hana's threat wouldn't keep the rumors down for too long. They'd continue soon enough like they had been doing all week. Some days, the mutterings and murmurs were too much for her to handle rationally. Sometimes, she wanted to go lock herself in a bathroom stall and cry. Tohru flashed her friends a smile after she put away her folded gym clothes to let them know she was going to meet them back in the classroom. In response, they simply nodded.

Outside, Tohru found Yuki leaning against the wall. His eyes lit up when he saw her, making it clear that he had been waiting for her. She walked over to him with a smile on her face. He returned her smile as a greeting and wordlessly took her books from her arms, an action that made every girl that passed insanely jealous. Tohru was grateful for his presence, not because he was carrying her things for her but because he unintentionally made everyone stop talking about her. It really wasn't her wish for him to do such a favor for her. In fact, she had offered to take her belongings back, but he was the one who declined.

"Yuki-kun, why were you waiting for me?" Tohru asked politely.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were okay," Yuki replied with a smile.

Her mouth formed a small 'o' as every other mouth around them dropped from shock, envy, or both at Yuki's blunt answer. Tohru wasn't exactly sure what to do so she just followed him as he walked to her locker. Yuki stopped when they arrived at her locker and stood there as she opened it. He handed her each book and binder one at a time ignoring the looks everyone around them were giving him and Tohru. Tohru, on the other hand, was unable to keep acting natural. Not only were her cheeks the darkest shade of red, but her hands were also shaking. She dropped one of her notebooks, the dark green one with the picture of her mom in it.

She reached to grab it, but a nearby Yuki fan girl beat her to it. Tohru looked up at the fan girl she recognized as Minami. Forcing a smile onto her face, Tohru held out her hand for the notebook, but Minami made no attempt to give it back. Instead, Minami flipped through the pages. Her eyes widened when she came upon the photo of Tohru's mom. She pulled it out and held it out to Tohru with a disapproving frown. Tohru's brown orbs doubled in size when she saw her precious photo. Thinking Minami was giving it back to her, Tohru extended her hands out, but Minami held it out of her reach.

"Why do you carry around a photo of your mother?" she questioned.

"I umm…" Tohru stammered embarrassedly.

"It's childish and immature. You should carry around a picture of your boyfriend instead or something. You do have one, right?" Minami asked.

"I… I don't…" Tohru whispered.

Minami snorted, "Well at least leave this picture of your mommy at home. It's embarrassing, and I don't want to see you carrying this around again!"

Tohru looked down at her feet with a hurt expression. She couldn't bring herself to respond or even look Minami in the eye. Tohru didn't want to abandon her mother at home, but she couldn't say it. Yuki watched Tohru shift her weight from one foot to the other for a minute before deciding to step in. Originally, he didn't want to defend Tohru since that would probably make his fan club hate her more, but he couldn't stand to see that frown on her face any longer. He stepped forward and placed his hand on Tohru's shoulder.

"Why? I think it's cute that she carries around a picture of her mom," Yuki stated simply.

Minami, along with every other girl in the hall way (and a few guys) stared at Yuki with their cheeks flaring. Tohru glanced up at him shyly though appreciative for the support. He just beamed at her and removed his hand from her shoulder before anyone suspected anything of the gesture. Yuki and Tohru were both unaware of the effect of Yuki's words; that small comment would soon start a new trend within Kaibara High School. Now, if one didn't carry around a photograph of his mother, he wasn't cool.

"So if I carry around a picture of my mother, I get to be cute in Yuki-sama's eyes too?" Haru asked as he propped his arms around Yuki's neck.

Haru's voice startled the two of them and made Tohru jump about two feet away from Yuki with a red face.

"Ah! Hatsuharu-san!" Tohru chipped in with a polite smile.

Haru returned her smile and continued to cling to Yuki while everyone around wondered when and how Haru appeared. A few girls and a guy or two gaped at the sight before them with drool practically dripping out of their mouths. These people were obviously the yaoi fans and gay males. Tohru laughed nervously when she noticed the annoyed expression on Yuki's face. She could see his body tense up with irritancy. He looked about ready to fling the ox across the hall. Haru noticed as well, but he remained clingy.

"No, I was talking about Honda-san, not you," Yuki muttered curtly.

"Aww, but I wanna be cute too," Haru whined.

"I'm sure you're very adorable… in Rin's eyes..." Yuki said.

Haru was silent for a minute. He put his finger under his chin and nodded a few times as he thought about what Yuki said. Yuki took his silence to his advantage and yanked Haru's arms off of him and took a few steps away from Haru much to the dismay of some Yuki fan girls who were enjoying a bit of what they thought was homosexual affection between two gorgeous guys. Tohru continued to smile, simply glad that no one had been harmed. Haru made no attempt to reattach himself to Yuki, but instead, he turned his attention to Tohru who stared blankly back at him.

"So Honda-san, how is the ba-" Haru started to ask.

Before Haru could finish saying _baby_ Yuki clamped both of his hands over Haru's mouth. Both Haru, who didn't understand what was wrong with asking Tohru how her pregnancy was coming along, and Tohru, who didn't know what Haru was going to ask, were confused by the rat's actions. Haru leaned his head back and looked up at Yuki with a perplexed expression that Yuki ignored. He placed his hands over Yuki and pried Yuki's hands off of his mouth with much effort. Yuki only released him once he was sure Haru wouldn't finish his question.

"What was that for? I was asking Honda-san a question, not you," Haru pointed out.

"Do you want to get Honda-san in trouble or something?" Yuki asked him.

"Trouble?" Tohru repeated as she cocked her head to the side.

Yuki nodded without really explaining. Tohru blinked still baffled. Before Haru or Tohru could question him any further, a loud, cheerful voice called for Tohru. Tohru jumped up from shock as a short, blonde boy came racing towards her with his arms stretched wide apart. He was an inch away from her as he tried to hug her, but both Haru and Yuki reached him first. Haru grabbed Momiji by his left arm, and Yuki held the small boy back by his right. Momiji dangled in the air as he flailed himself around kicking his legs wildly. Being quicker and stronger, both Yuki and Haru were able to keep a grip on the boy.

"I wanna hug Toooooooohru! Put me down!" Momiji demanded after he found that he couldn't escape Yuki and Haru.

"You **can't**," Yuki reminded him.

Haru, Momiji, and Tohru knew what Yuki meant by that. If Momiji hugged Tohru, he would turn into a rabbit, and the curse would be revealed, but to everyone else around who had heard what Yuki had said, he sounded like a possessive boyfriend. After looking around at all the people gathered around, Momiji looked down, deciding to give up at the moment. Feeling no further resistance from the rabbit, Haru and Yuki set him down. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Momiji bounded over to Tohru with a wide smile. Yuki's and Haru's eyes widened at Momiji's actions, but luckily for them, Momiji stopped in front of Tohru.

"I can come over then, right Tooooooohru?" Momiji asked.

"Umm…"

Before she could even fully answer Momiji pointed to the green notebook that was still in Minami's hands, "Isn't that Toooooohru's? Huh? Tohru? Why do you have Tohru's mutti's picture???"

"I uh…" Minami stuttered nervously.

"You should give it back!" Momiji exclaimed balling his fists up and giving what he thought was an angry expression though most people thought it was better described as cute than anything else. Minami, not sure what to do, handed the notebook back to Tohru who gratefully took it with a wide grin. She held it close to her chest with a relieved smile. Seeing Tohru happy again, Momiji grinned along with her. If Yuki and Haru weren't watching him so closely, he would have hugged Tohru already.

Many girls wanted to know why Tohru was so familiar with so many of the Sohmas, but before anyone could question her, the bell rang. Momiji quickly said goodbye to Tohru before skipping as he followed Haru back to their classroom. Tohru stood there waving to the two of them with a wide grin. She probably would have stayed there and continued to wave if it wasn't for Yuki who hadn't forgotten that class was starting. He took her hand and pulled her towards the classroom where an annoyed Kyo was waiting. Even Hana and Uo, who had left the locker room after Tohru, were there before the brunette.


	14. Week 14

Not a single student had uttered a word about her pregnancy for a couple of days. They muttered a few words about it every now and then, but it wasn't anywhere close to how unbearable it was before. One could say her life was going perfectly, that is, until school ended.

After last period, her perfect day turned into one of her most nerve wrecking. As she was gathering up her things and getting ready to leave, Mayu came over to her desk and told her to stay after. She had been a bit stunned but not as much as Uo, Hana, and Kyo had been. Kyo didn't express his shock as Hana and Uo did; he just left to go to the dojo where he chose to vent his worry and anger privately. Yuki would have acted like Uo and Hana; he would have confronted her, but he wasn't in the room; he had left early due to a student council meeting.

The two of her friends that were left in the classroom approached her desk instantly with concern planted across their faces. Tohru glanced at them, still continuing to pack up her belongings indifferently. She was used to Mayu requesting her to stay after. At least once a month, Mayu would discuss her grades with her, so it really wasn't a surprise to her. It saddened her a bit to realize she wasn't doing as well in class as she had hoped she was. After all, Yuki had been helping her out a lot more than usual lately, but it would seem, he was just wasting his time when he tutored her and helped her with her homework since she was still nearly failing. She never told anyone about these meetings with Mayu though; she didn't want her friends to fret over her grades more than they normally did.

"Why would she want you to stay after?" Uo wondered aloud.

"Umm… I don't know…" Tohru replied which was partially true since she wasn't completely sure that her grades were what Mayu wanted to talk about.

"Maybe we should stay after with you to make sure nothing happens…" Hana stated.

"Ah! No, no, no! I couldn't ask you to stay behind for me! I'll be fine by myself!"

Uo and Hana stared at her uneasily. Tohru wasn't exactly a person who could make decisions easily or even make up her mind by herself so they usually helped her see the positive ends and bad sides to situations, but if they weren't there and Mayu asked her something of that sort, Tohru would be in there for hours. Tohru was persistent and wouldn't listen to their reasoning though. She didn't want them to take time out of their schedules to stay with her. Besides, Mayu most likely wanted to talk to her alone so even if they did stay after, they wouldn't be able to assist her. It wasn't like Mayu would allow her to step out into the hall every minute to consult with them.

"Really! I'll be fine! I'm sure it's nothing!" Tohru said to reassure herself more than her friends.

Tohru smiled and walked with her friends to the door, gently ushering them out with a grin. They reluctantly left after Tohru gave them another soft shove. The door shut behind them, and Tohru was left alone in the room with a silent Mayu. Tohru turned around and walked over to Mayu's desk. She waited silently for Mayu to speak, but she didn't. Tohru blinked, and just waited for a few minutes figuring that Mayu probably needed a minute or two to get ready, but Mayu just stood up and began wiping the chalkboard off. Tohru's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Mayu had told her to stay after, right?

Tohru stood in front of Mayu's desk, staring around the room aimlessly. Failing a test or having bad grades seemed to be a reasonable explanation for this meeting, but when Mayu remained silent, Tohru was left baffled. She rocked herself back and forth, shifting her weight from her heels to her toes as she waited for an explanation. Clutching her school bag in her hands, she watched Mayu clean the chalkboard. There was still no conversation between them. Tohru was about to speak and offer to help clean when the door slid open. To her surprise, Tohru saw the principal enter. Tohru smiled politely and bowed to him, but he didn't acknowledge her. He strode right over to Mayu.

"Is this Tohru Honda?"

Mayu turned towards him and nodded. After setting down the board erasers, she brushed the dust off her hands, and faced Tohru. She gestured the brunette to take a seat in the chair she had pulled out earlier before sitting down herself. Tohru obeyed and sat down, her large brown eyes staring at the two adults. Could it be that she was doing so poorly in school that they're going to kick her out? Tohru gripped her bag tightly, hoping that wasn't the case. If she couldn't go to school anymore, that would be bad. If she couldn't graduate, she'd be disappointing her mom. She had managed to space out in front of them. Mayu had to say her name ten times before she responded.

"Ah! Yes?" Tohru cried, hoping she hadn't been zoned out for too long.

"I asked you 'do you know why you're here today?'" the principal restated.

"Ah… Um… Er, I don't know…" Tohru whispered, not wanting to admit that she thought she was going to be expelled for failing too many tests.

"No ideas at all?"

Tohru shook her head, praying that she was wrong. Why wouldn't they end her misery and just tell her already? She cocked her head to the side, staring at them in attempt to convey her desperation for an answer to them. She was bad at guessing. In fact she was terrible at it; her guessing abilities were one of the reasons she did so poorly on tests. The other factor, of course, was she wasn't exactly what one would consider smart. Tohru chewed her bottom lip, waiting for their response that would helpfully answer her plea for a clear explanation of why she was in this room after school with the two of them.

"Well, lately, I've been hearing some bad things about you… Do you know about this?"

"Bad things?" Tohru repeated the word, getting more confused by the minute. Were those 'bad things' also known as her grades? Were her test scores so bad now that Mayu had told the principal about them? Tohru swallowed nervously and shook her head. Giving her a response that was more like a riddle (to her) didn't help her come closer to figuring out what they meant at all. Solving riddles was another thing she had no talent in. She needed a straightforward and blunt reply, and that didn't seem like something they were willing to give at the moment.

Mayu sighed, knowing Tohru would never figure out they were talking about if they didn't tell her directly, "We've been hearing people say that you're pregnant."

"And as ridiculous as this may sound, I need to hear your denial before I can let you go," the principal added.

Tohru fidgeted in her seat nervously. She faced downwards, twisting the strap of her backpack around her fingers. She knew they were staring at her, waiting for her to tell them she wasn't pregnant, but she couldn't lie. She didn't want to lie to them, and she wasn't brave enough to tell them she was pregnant yet. Tohru began to tremble out of anxiety, nearly dropping her backpack. A minute or two later, she was finally able to meet their gazes. By now, she was sure they already knew they wouldn't be receiving the denial they had been expecting from her. She lifted her head slowly, whispering in a voice that they could barely hear, "I am pregnant…"

"WHAT?!" the principal shouted as he abruptly stood up, knocking over his chair in the process.

Tohru laughed nervously, trying to calm her nerves with joy, but it wasn't working very well. She just appeared to be a bumbling idiot at the moment, laughing like that after such a serious statement. The principal was obviously furious at what she had just said, but Mayu didn't show any emotion other than pure shock. Tohru had always been the student everyone thought still believed that storks dropped babies off at a married couple's doorstep, but here was Mayu's most innocent and naïve student telling them that she was pregnant. Mayu couldn't believe it.

"I am pregnant…" Tohru repeated a bit louder.

The principal's face hardened into a stern glare. Tohru bit her bottom lip, turning her head back down towards her lap. She could vaguely hear the principal scream several incoherent phrases, and she partially heard him declare he couldn't allow a pregnant girl to continue attending his school. When she heard the latter statement, Tohru flinched. Tohru was too scared to give him her full attention. Tohru didn't want to believe her ears. She couldn't get expelled! Tohru had almost forgotten that she was here until Mayu touched her arm.

"Honda-san, do you know who the father is?"

Tohru nodded. She knew who the father is, but she wasn't sure he would want her to tell them who he was. Still, she couldn't lie to them, even if he'd be mad at her later. She bit her lip, a feeble attempt to keep his name inside, but when Mayu asked her the dreaded question (who?), her mouth opened on its own, and his name slid out. Tohru clasped her hand over her mouth when she realized what she had just said. The principal stopped pacing around and yelling when he heard Yuki's name. He raised his eyebrows at her as if he didn't believe what he had just heard. Mayu stared at her with wide eyes. Both of them left Tohru feeling uncomfortable, but what else could they do? Yuki was the student council president and top of his class; students like that didn't impregnate girls, did they?

---

Yuki muttered another curse as he bent over to pick up the papers he had dropped for the tenth time on his journey to his classroom. Why did he have to be the one who gave these to Mayu? He had been the only one working at today's student council meeting. Kimi had ditched the meeting to meet some guy on a date, Machi hadn't come because she was sick, Manabe had been sleeping most of the time, and Naohito had been yelling at Manabe during the whole meeting. With Manabe's snores and Naohito's rants, Yuki was surprised when he actually finished the task of planning the class trip, but now, he was just pissed since he had to deliver them to Mayu.

He finally arrived at his destination and was about to open to the door when he saw Tohru in there. Yuki stood outside the room, staring through the window with confusion in his eyes. Why was she in there? She was huddled in her seat, looking terribly frightened as the red-faced principal waved his arms around in fury. Mayu was sitting behind her desk, shaking her head. From his spot outside, Yuki could vaguely make out what the principal was venting. Yuki hated how frightened Tohru appeared to be. She looked ready to cry, and he was having a difficult time trying to figure out what she had done that was bad enough to make the principal this mad. Well whatever it was that she did, he didn't care. All he knew was that she didn't deserve this type of treatment. As casually as he could, he opened the door and stepped inside the room.

"Well speak of the devil," the principal muttered.

"I have the class trip plans here…" Yuki said calmly holding up the packet of papers, ignoring the principal's comment.

"Thank you, you can set them here…" Mayu responded, pointing to her desk.

Yuki walked over, keeping his eyes on Tohru the entire time. Tohru looked back at him with fear-filled eyes. She seemed to be reaching out to him for help, begging him to take her away from here, or maybe he was just imagining things. He set the papers down on the corner of Mayu's desk, then Yuki glanced at the principal who had had his eyes glued on him since he had walked though the door. He didn't know why he was staring at him like that, but it was starting to scare him a bit. It sort of reminded him of a fan girl's stare, but the principal wasn't gay, was he?

"Are you alright Tohru?"

There it was, the accidental slip of his tongue. This was bad, he had just called Tohru by her first name in front of his teachers, and this was the worst time to do so apparently. The principal eyed him, anger glinting in his eyes along with suspicion. He was acting like a detective who had just found the greatest clue. He extended his finger towards Yuki questioningly. In return, Yuki faced him with a blank expression, his eyebrows raised. Why was he looking at him like that? Was there some sort of rule that said he couldn't call Tohru by her first name?

"Since when have you become so familiar with Honda-san here?"

"What does that matter? Are my friends really of your concern? Why are you making her cry?" Yuki asked, unintentionally yelling at the principal.

Mayu peered at Yuki, wondering if she had really heard those words come out of his mouth. Even the principal, who hardly talked to him, seemed surprised at Yuki's personality change. Yuki knew he shouldn't be talking back to the principal; he knew that, and yet, he couldn't help himself. He knew that he was usually calm and collected, and this was a side of him not many people at school have seen, but Tohru seemed to be good at bringing out this side of him. Seeing Tohru in tears and knowing the principal had something to do with it, made him angry. People that made Tohru cry just irritated him more than anything else.

"You do not speak to your principal in that manner."

"I'm sorry, but you shouldn't speak in a manner that makes your students feel like crying," Yuki replied nonchalantly.

"Yuki-kun… Um… I'm okay…" Tohru whispered to him.

She had just basically lied, but she didn't want him to get in trouble on her account. That wouldn't be right. He had done more than enough for her. She couldn't help it if she was going to get thrown out of school because she was pregnant, but she didn't want Yuki joining her because he was quarrelling with the principal. Yuki glanced at her. He didn't believe her at all. Her lie had been too obvious. Besides, by now, he knew what she looked like when she was about to cry. Because he had certain feelings towards her, he found himself staring at her often, and he knew her expressions very well.

"Why are you here?" Yuki asked her curiously.

"I umm… Well you see…" Tohru stuttered nervously.

"Tohru claims she's pregnant and that you're the father of her unborn child," the principal explained.

Yuki blinked at him, a bit startled by what he had just said. At least that explained why Tohru looked so frightened earlier. What he didn't understand now was why she had just jumped up with a horrified look across her face. Her arms were outstretched and her eyes were at least three times larger than they usually were. Tohru opened her mouth, searching for the words that could justify what the principal had just said. Did he have to be so frank about it? She sat herself down when she noticed the principal and Mayu giving her an odd look again. She'd have to apologize to him later if he was really upset about her telling them that he was the father. Yuki continued to look at her for a brief moment before deciding to answer the principal.

"So?" Yuki asked.

"What do you mean so? I can't allow a pregnant student to continue coming here," the principal stated angrily.

Hearing that, Yuki looked at Tohru once again, "Did you tell them about why you had to get pregnant?"

"Wah… No… Not yet… I forgot…" Tohru confessed softly.

The principal and Mayu both turned their attention back to Tohru with surprised faces that showed interest. They had heard Tohru was pregnant, and from that, they assumed her story would be like every other teenage mother story: she got drunk at some party, had sex, and got pregnant, but they didn't expect her to 'have' to get pregnant. In fact, they had never heard of a case where someone **had **to get pregnant before. Tohru looked down at her feet, feeling uncomfortable with their eyes glued on her. She was speechless. Being the center of attention wasn't something she liked.

"I… Um… Well… You see…" Tohru stammered.

"It's a medical condition," Yuki offered.

Tohru nodded in agreement. She wished she could be as calm as Yuki always was. She was slapping herself mentally for forgetting this very important factor of her pregnancy. If she had been more relaxed and at ease, she wouldn't have wasted half an hour just to be reprimanded. She could have saved herself from all of the yelling and scolding if she had remembered that, but now Mayu and the principal were looking at her and Yuki skeptically. Not sure how she could make them believe that they were telling the truth, Tohru simpered weakly at them.

"I've never heard of a condition of that sort before?"

"I'm not lying. You can call Hatori or Shigure if you don't believe me. Sensei, you are acquainted with them, I heard," Yuki said.

"Eh? You know Hatori-san and Shigure-san?"

"This conversation isn't about me!" Mayu suddenly snapped with a red face.

"Oh! Sorry…" Tohru apologized, even though she had nothing to do with Mayu's now red face. She didn't even really understand why Mayu was red in the face; she didn't even suspect it to be a blush. Her first assumption was that Mayu's face was dark out of anger like the principal's face had been, but Yuki, on the other hand, knew more about Hatori and Mayu's relationship and smiled a bit at her reaction. The principal was oblivious like Tohru, but at least Tohru was aware of who Hatori and Shigure were. He was a bit annoyed to be the only one left out of this conversation.

"Back to this condition of yours… I do need some medical forms proving this is true… So if this Hatori or Shigure can bring these documents, please call them, would you?" the principal asked though gritted teeth.

Yuki nodded, "I'll call Hatori. Shigure would do more harm then good."

"You got that right…" Mayu muttered under her breath.

"Eh? Did you say something?" Tohru asked.

"Nothing," Mayu replied curtly.

Tohru blinked, showing her confusion. She peered up at Yuki for some sort of explanation, but he could only lift his shoulders and drop them slightly in a shrug. He knew about her and Hatori, but he didn't know a thing about Mayu's past relationship with Shigure. Yuki wasn't about to ask her about it either. The way he saw it, he had enough reasons explaining why he didn't exactly adore Shigure. One of his reasons had to be the cause of Mayu's ill-feelings towards Shigure. He walked over to the door where the phone was hanging on the wall beside it. After dialing Hatori's phone number, he stepped out of the classroom, sliding the door shut behind him before explaining to Hatori what he needed from him.

Hatori agreed to come, saying he'd arrive at the school within a few minutes. He came as he said he would, and it took the doctor another half an hour and a call to Tohru's obstetrician to convince the principal that they weren't making this up even with the medical papers in Hatori's hands. The principal reluctantly gave in since he seemed to be the only one who was against keeping Tohru in school. Mayu had given in before Hatori came, though she never really believed Tohru should be kicked out.

Afterwards, everyone was tired and more than ready to go home. Hatori volunteered to drive home Tohru, who had a grin on that dominated her face, Yuki, who was feeling a mix of irritation and complete exhaustion, and Mayu, who was too embarrassed and startled to accept his offer. Tohru offered a polite bow to the principal and Mayu before she left whilst Hatori only gave Mayu a farewell, and Yuki muttered a half hearted goodbye to them. Mayu smiled at them, and the principal responded with a curt grunt. He was upset to have lost this _battle_.

. Tohru followed Yuki and Hatori out the door. She gathered up her courage and quickened her pace so she could thank Yuki. It was odd how hard it was getting to just speak to him lately even though she had been living with him for quite a while now. Recently, she wasn't sure why, but when he was around, blushes always seemed to find their way onto her cheeks no matter how hard she fought to keep her face from turning red. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get out a word, Uo and Hana attacked her with questions.

"Tohru, are you okay?!" Uo shouted as she nearly suffocating Tohru in a tight embrace.

"I sensed some strange waves from you," Hana added.

"You're not hurt are you?"

Tohru blinked a couple of times, clearly bewildered by their appearance. She thought they had left long ago, but with Uo holding her so close, Tohru couldn't even open her mouth to comment. Uo and Hana had been lurking around the classroom, out in the hallways and outside the school, staring into the room through various windows. They had been too worried about Tohru to leave her alone. Uo and Hana had been standing in the courtyard with their ears pressed against the window for most of the meeting, but they weren't able to hear much. They were just surprised that no one had spotted them.

"I'm… fine," Tohru replied after Uo released her.

It took her a few minutes to convince Uo and Hana that she was alright, and even then they still insisted on going home with her just to make sure. Hatori ended up driving the four teenagers to Shigure's house, but he left before Shigure knew he had even been there. Tohru didn't have the chance to talk to Yuki until Uo and Hana went home which was well after dinner time. Even then, he was up in his room, and Tohru had to pace around for a moment before she was calm enough to knock on his door. Yuki stared at the door for a moment before opening it. He found Tohru bent over in a bow standing before his door.

"To-"

"Thank you so much Yuki-kun. You helped me out a lot today. If you weren't there, I would be expelled by now," Tohru whispered to him.

She was beyond grateful that he had come into the classroom when he had. Without him, the principal and Mayu probably wouldn't have even heard about her condition. If he hadn't been there, she probably would be expelled already. She owed him. He had saved her schooling career. There were no words to express her gratitude. Thanks to him, she could hopefully keep her promise to her mother and graduate (that is if she managed to pass all of her classes).

"There's no need to thank me… I'm just glad I was able to help," Yuki smiled at her.

With those couple of lines, her once horrible day didn't seem so bad anymore.

**Real late update! I've just been in a BLAH mood for a while... Sowwie! -spaz- I think this chapter was alright... well review please? **


	15. Week 15

The class roared with its usual chitchat as Mayu prepared for the day. Girls bragged about their boyfriends and guys boasted about their 'newly discovered' muscles as Yuki tried not to take a quick nap, and Tohru did some extra studying. The noise was unbearable, and Mayu barely tolerated it as she finished getting her materials ready.

"SILENCE! We have a new subject as of today: Health," Mayu said as she slammed her fist on the chalkboard.

The class settled down at once. Mayu ran her finger under the word 'Health' that she had written in large letters across the middle of the board. Tohru blinked innocently, gazing at the word in a way a child would. She had no idea that this health class would talk about things other than sicknesses and the immune system. Yuki stared at the board, deciding not to express his shock. He knew this class was put into place because of him and Tohru. There was no doubt about it, but there was nothing he could do about it. Glancing over at Tohru, he could tell she didn't even understand what would be taught during this class. She'd find out soon enough. He sighed and went back to staring out the window.

"This class will be focusing on sexual intercourse, sexually transmitted diseases, STD's, conception, and pregnancy by request of the principal."

"EH?" Tohru gasped.

"Yes Honda? Is there something you'd like to say?" Mayu looked up at her.

Tohru shook her head furiously and looked back down at her desk. She stared at her pink notebook with horror plastered across her face. Everyone was looking at her, muttering incoherent things, but she was sure she could guess what they were talking about. They were probably gossiping about her and the baby they weren't even sure she had inside of her. Tohru bit her lip and swallowed nervously. She didn't need another class to fret over, especially a class that would discuss pregnancy. She was failing enough of her classes as it was; she didn't need another red mark on her exams, but this sort of class would be embarrassing for her.

"First off, I'll be assigning everyone a partner. This partner will be your _spouse_ until the class is complete. Together, you both will take care of a _baby_. This baby will be carried around all day long whether health class is in session or not, and you will treat it as if it was a real infant. You will _feed _it, _comfort _it when it cries, and you'll be doing this together. Yes, this baby will cry, and a key, like this, must be placed into its back to make it stop crying," Mayu held up a small key, "This baby will be giving your grade at the end of the term so there will be no tests or exams."

Tohru let out a sigh of relief. She was sure she could take care of a baby better than she could do on any test. Maybe this could actually be a class she'd pass with a good grade. Maybe, for once, she wouldn't receive the little red note that requested her guardian's signature at the end of the term. She was the only one smiling as everyone else groaned. Taking care of a baby with another classmate just seemed troublesome to the other students. Yuki continued to gaze out the window, ignoring the longing looks he received from girls that wanted to be his partner. He already knew who his partner would be. He was positive that Mayu would pair him up with Tohru, not that he had a problem with that. Tohru turned her head towards him, staring like the other fan girls for a minute before moving her gaze to a furious Kyo, then to a ticked off Uo, and an expressionless Hana.

"Couples will be decided through a drawing…" Mayu told them, "I wrote everybody's name on slips of paper, and I'll draw two slips at a time…"

Most people sat up anxiously hoping to get paired up with a hard worker or their crush. Minami leaned backwards towards Yuki and crossed her fingers. Squeezing her eyes shut, she prayed to God, Satan, and anyone else who could make her Yuki's partner or at least, keep Tohru from becoming Yuki's partner. Tohru clung to Yuki enough as it was, and the worst part was that Yuki didn't seem to mind. It didn't seem fair to Minami who would do anything to be Yuki's friend, preferably girlfriend, but that would be against the Yuki fan club rules. She frowned and muttered something about quitting the fan club if Yuki became her boyfriend before she continued to pray.

"The first _couple _is… Arisa Uotani and Kyo Sohma!" Mayu announced before tossing the slips away.

"WHAT?" Uo and Kyo snapped in unison, both of them jumping to their feet with anger splattered across their faces.

They turned towards each other and shot each other a glare before crossing their arms and sitting back down with a 'hmph'. The class was silent, all of them facing Kyo and Uo. Yuki turned away from the window for a second to catch a glimpse of Kyo's horrified face. He covered his mouth to cover a snicker. Oh how much he'd pay to have a camera at the moment. Kyo's face was priceless. The color had drained from his face and his eyes held a combination of fury and dread. The cat was practically pouting now that he knew he was going to be Uo's partner.

"Your partner is not negotiable… Next up… Tohru Honda and Yuki Sohma,"

"WHAT? NO WAY! I demand a redraw!" Minami snapped rising from her seat.

All her praying had just gone to waste. Not only was she not Yuki's partner, but Tohru, the _evil witch_, had to be the one he was paired up with. She scowled and leered malevolently at Tohru for a moment before turning around in her seat and folding her arms across her chest. Tohru's face turned a bright red. She hesitantly turned around to look at Yuki who was still faced towards the window, not paying any attention to the hollering from his fan club. Tohru wasn't sure how she felt about being Yuki's partner. A part of her was happy to be _married_ to Yuki even if it was only a simulation, but the other half of her was worried about what his fan club would do to her.

"Sohma, did you hear me?!" Mayu shouted towards Yuki.

Yuki raised his eyebrows and turned towards her, "Yeah, I'm going to be Honda-san's partner."

Tohru flinched a bit self-consciously. He didn't sound very happy about being her partner. If he didn't want to be her partner, she'd beg Mayu to switch for him. She didn't have time to speak with Yuki and ask him for his opinion since Mayu went on telling people their partners, remarkably managing to ignore Minami's screams of disapproval about Tohru being Yuki's partner. She finally quieted down when Mayu assigned her partner to be Hanajima. Minami was sulking at this point and worrying about her life. As much as she liked Yuki, she still valued her life.

"Now come on up with your partner and take your _baby_," Mayu ordered everyone as she pulled out a gigantic box filled with plastic babies.

Tohru hopped over the foot from her desk to Yuki's desk, eager to learn how he really felt about being her partner. She did her best to ignore the evil glances she was getting from her classmates who were in the Yuki fan club and tapped his shoulder to get his attention. Instantly, he turned away from that window that he always seemed to be staring out of and looked up at her, giving her a questioning look. Tohru felt her stomach turn. Why did she feel so nervous all of a sudden? She twisted the hem of her top around her finger nervously and took a deep breath before she looked him in the eye.

"Yuki-kun?! Do y-you not want to be m-my part-partner?" Tohru squeaked.

Yuki stared at her for a moment before his face broke out in a smile. What on earth had made her think he didn't want to be her partner? He was happy that she was his partner for various reasons. First off, he had to admit that he was extremely thankful that he hadn't been stuck being _married_ to some member of his fan club, but his other reason was rather simple. He was just happy to have been paired with Tohru. He loved spending time with her, he simply loved **her**. Besides, even if she hadn't been his partner, he probably would have ended up helping her anyways. It was just more convenient and less work to have them as partners.

"Why would I mind being your partner?"

"Um… I don't know… Because I'm not smart… and um…" she trailed off before asking, "So you really don't want a different partner?"

"Thought never crossed my mind. Besides… We being partners just makes sense if you know what I mean…" Yuki smiled at her.

Tohru looked down at her slightly round stomach with a blush. She did understand what he meant. They were going to be parents in a little over five months anyways. They might as well practice parenting together. Tohru put her hand on top of her bulging stomach and looked up at him with a small smile. Yuki stood up with a grin in return and took her hand, leading her towards the line to the front table before Mayu yelled at them for being the only ones not lining up to get their _baby_. They stood there in the back of the line, slowly moving forward to Mayu's desk. Uo passed them on the way to her desk, holding a plastic baby dressed in a pink outfit by its leg. Kyo was following after her with a displeased look across his face.

Yuki looked at them with an amused expression, "I don't think you're supposed to hold your baby like that."

"Yeah… You should know…" Uo muttered dryly.

"Why should **he **know? Stop talking to the prince so rudely!" Minami snapped.

She stomped over to them, holding her and Hana's baby by the back of its light blue shirt. Hana followed after her and stood in between Uo and Tohru. Uo slowly tilted her head in Minami's direction with a deadly glow in her eyes. Uo threw the baby at Kyo who barely caught it as she pulled out a large iron pipe covered with dried blood. She pointed the rod towards Minami dangerously. Anger glinted in her brown orbs. She was already annoyed since Kyo was her partner, and hearing Minami say that to her made her more irritated.

"Don't tell me what to do!" she yelled furiously.

"Uotani! Put that away! Sohma! Honda! Get over here already and take your baby," Mayu ordered as she held up the last baby.

"Y-yes!" Tohru squealed as she ran over and took the baby from Mayu.

She came back to Yuki with the fake baby cradled in her arms and the key locked in between her fingers. She seemed to be the only one who was holding her baby properly. She was probably the only one who knew how to carry a baby. Everyone else was holding their baby like Uo had been or how Minami was, and a couple was holding a baby with the head towards the ground like Kyo was. Kyo gripped the baby by its leg, not caring whether the plastic doll fell to the ground and broke or not.

"Ah-ah… I guess this is our baby…" Tohru whispered to Yuki.

Yuki nodded and smiled, staring at the plastic doll with large brown eyes that reminded him of Tohru's. He was about to point it out when Mayu ordered everyone to go sit down. Tohru obeyed and held onto the baby in her seat, continuing to treat it as if it was her real child. Instead of returning to look out the window, Yuki decided to watch Tohru. He found it adorable how she held the baby. Yuki watched Tohru rock the baby back and forth gently. If she was treating a doll like this, he didn't know how much better she could treat a real child. He could tell that she was going to be an amazing mother. There was no doubt in his mind about that.

"Tonight, you will all fill out this packet with your partner. It is due tomorrow," Mayu announced as she passed out the papers.

"Tonight?" groaned half of the students followed by complaints about being busy and not knowing where the other lived. All of which, Mayu ignored. Yuki and Tohru were the only ones who didn't utter anything since they lived with each other. There would be no problem getting together after school to work on the packet. They would be seeing each other anyways. Besides, Yuki helped her with her homework each night. Tohru glanced over at him with a smile.

"Just do it! It's not that hard!" Mayu snapped.

Everyone silenced down after that. They knew there would be no convincing Mayu to extend the due date. Every hour a baby would start crying which would disrupt Mayu's teaching and distract everyone from their work. One could say, hardly anything got finished in class today. They'd just have to work extra hard. The day tediously progressed on until the end of the day. Mayu stopped her lecture ten minutes before the bell rung to let everyone discuss their plans to meet tonight. By now, everyone despised their _baby_ and hated the project. Everyone except for Tohru was starting to prefer tests over taking care of a wailing doll.

Uo looked over her shoulder at Kyo nonchalantly, "Your place."

"What?! Why my place?" Kyo demanded.

"My dad's a drunk, and our house is cramped. Besides, I want to see Tohru," Uo reasoned with a careless shrug.

Yuki glanced towards Tohru, "We'll work on it after your homework."

"Okay," Tohru agreed.

Minami hesitantly walked over to Hana's desk. She swallowed nervously. After Hana's brother had cursed her a year prior, Hana was someone Minami was deathly afraid of. She didn't want to hear those freaky voices again. Not to mention, Hana looked like a scary person anyways. Minami hated the fact that Hana could shock her with electric waves. Considering how poorly she got along with Tohru, Hana would probably shock her a lot now that they'd be seeing each other more often because of this project. She took a deep breath before struggling to speak, "Are we going to meet up at your place?"

"No. We'll be going home with Tohru," Hana replied calmly.

"WHAT?! Why would we meet at that witc- I mean Tohru's house?" Minami asked.

"The prince will be there. Why are you complaining."

Minami's face broke out into a dreamy smile as she imagined seeing the prince after school hours. He'd be shining under the alluring light of the setting sun before her eyes as they walked to Tohru's house. She sighed contently, dreaming of what could happen between them. Her mind was flooded with images of Yuki kissing her, embracing her, holding her hand, and other romantic gestures. A blush slipped onto her face as her thoughts got more intimate. Hana stopped looking at her and went back to reading her book which she had been reading during the whole class.

"I'll take that as a yes…" Hana muttered.

Tohru stood up with her hands pressed against the top of her desk and an extremely worried expression across her face. She jumped from one foot to the other. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop. It had been an accident, but because she and Yuki didn't have many plans to discuss, she could easily hear Hana's words. Yuki and Hana stared at her, both of them equally startled by Tohru's abrupt movement though Hana didn't show her bewilderment. Tohru flailed her arms around a bit trying to tell them something without speaking, but when they gave her another confused look, she leaned towards Hana's ear.

"AH! Hana-chan! You have to ask Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun before you come! And Shigure-san!" Tohru whispered into Hana's ear frantically.

Hana brushed aside what Tohru said with a half smile. Tohru's mouth dropped with fret. She didn't mind if Hana came over to visit her, but the house she lived in wasn't hers. She couldn't just invite people over without getting Shigure's permission or at least Yuki's and Kyo's approvals. Tohru chewed her bottom lip, turning towards Yuki desperately. He looked back at her. He had only heard a bit of what she had whispered, but he could figure out what she was worried about. By now, he knew what kind of things bothered her pretty well.

"It's okay Tohru, Shigure wouldn't mind," Yuki reassured her.

Tohru nodded and sat back down a bit hesitantly. His words had only comforted her slightly. If Shigure was mad, she'd apologize to him later on and make him something extra special for dinner. Minami had been too busy imagining her and Yuki together to hear anything that they had just said. If she had, there surly would have been a fit of yelling, but she just stood there and embraced the plastic doll, imagining it to be Yuki. They waited until the bell rung before a stream of complaining students left the room. Tohru followed after Yuki with the baby in her hands. Uo made a reluctant Kyo hold the baby and walked beside Tohru and Hanajima. Minami dawdled behind everyone with the baby squished in her arms, seeming to try and figure out if she really was going to get to see Yuki after school. Her dream soon faded away when she heard a sharp tone call her name.

"Minami!" Motoko hollered when she spotted the fan club girl walking behind Yuki.

Minami froze in her spot, the pictures of her and Yuki together vanishing from her mind when she heard Motoko. She let out an exasperated sigh. She knew she was going to get yelled at now by the overboard Yuki fan club president. She slowly turned around, awaiting her punishment for planning to see Yuki after school which was probably against some Yuki fan club rule Motoko hadn't told her about. Motoko raised her eyebrows at Minami, a hint of confusion and displeasure in her eyes, but when she saw Yuki looking at her, that look was quickly replaced with a faraway expression. Motoko's brain was quickly putting together poems about Yuki's beauty just at the sight of him, but her artistic spell was put to a sudden end when her eyes locked onto Tohru's. Her look hardened into a deadly one which made Tohru flinch.

"Minagawa-san…" Tohru and Yuki greeted her politely in unison.

"Hello Yuki-kun," Motoko chirped before turning towards Tohru, "Hello slut."

Motoko was still smiling, even after saying what she had to Tohru, but of course, she had said it in a hushed voice so that Yuki wouldn't be able to make out her word choice. As much as she hated it, she couldn't deny that Yuki and Tohru were close friends. Come to think of it, she hadn't even seen Yuki without Tohru being beside him all year, but even if she loathed Tohru, she wouldn't be downright mean and call her names in front of Yuki (or if she did, she wouldn't let him hear her). She wouldn't dare do anything that could potentially make Yuki hate her, but the problem with speaking so softly was that Tohru didn't hear the insult either.

"Eh? What did you say?" Tohru asked innocently with her head tilted to the side.

"Nothing, just that I need to speak with Minami," Motoko lied as she dragged Minami down the hall.

Minami wiggled around, trying to escape Motoko's hold, but Motoko just gripped her arm tighter. She watched Yuki fade away and disappear completely when they turned the corner at the end of the hallway. It was only then did Motoko release her. Minami brushed off her arm with a frown. She glowered at Motoko impatiently, eager to get back to Yuki. She couldn't wait to see how things progressed between the two of them, but Motoko didn't appear to want Minami to go back. Motoko folded her arms across her chest with a bothered expression. Something about Minami following after Yuki and ogling him from behind annoyed her. It aggravated her enough to know that Minami got to be in Yuki's class and she couldn't be.

"What do you want?!" Minami snapped impatiently.

"Why are you following the prince?" Motoko hissed once she was sure they were out of Yuki's hearing range.

"It's for a project," Minami smirked fanning herself as a bragging gesture.

"And what project would that be?" Motoko demanded.

"The baby one," Minami answered smugly.

Minami held up the baby she had hated a minute ago and kissed it on the forehead before hugging it again. Minami could tell by Motoko's twisted face that she was beyond envious. Minami had originally stopped liking this project when she found out that she wasn't going to be Yuki's partner, but she was beginning to like it again, now that it made Motoko jealous of her. Even though she and Motoko shared several interests, mainly Yuki, she wouldn't consider Motoko her friend. In fact, Motoko was more like her rival in love, and she was willing to do anything to make Motoko envy her as much as possible.

"What?! Are you his partner?" Motoko yelled.

Minami frowned and sulked for a minute before shaking her head, "No… He's paired up with that witch…"

Motoko's face darkened after hearing that Tohru was Yuki's partner. She considered hurting Tohru for a second before she remembered the scene she had just tore Minami from a minute ago, "Well if you're going to Yuki's house then I want to come too!"

"WHAT?! No way! Besides, we're just going to Honda-san's house!" Minami argued.

"I'll be going anyways… Just to make sure that witch doesn't try anything with my Yuki."

They argued, Minami trying to keep Motoko from coming with them and Motoko arguing that she should be able to come since she's the president of the fan club. Minami didn't want Motoko to intrude on her _date_ with Yuki, and Motoko did not want to leave Yuki alone with four other girls. She didn't trust any of them with _her _Yuki, especially Tohru and Minami. No one was going to have Yuki's heart but her if she could help it. She'd sell her soul to the devil if that would make Yuki love her. She was downright desperate now that her last year of high school was nearing its end.

Meanwhile, Yuki, Tohru, Uo, Hana, and Kyo were playing rock, paper, scissors to see who'd go get Minami. They had decided this after they had turned down Uo's suggestion to ditch Minami and leave without her (Tohru didn't want to do that). Tohru lost to everyone's balled fists as 'rock' with her two fingers extended in the form of scissors. Yuki offered to go with her, seeing as she looked nervous. She couldn't go by herself. If it had been anyone else she was getting, she would have gladly gone alone, but Minami and Motoko frightened her a little. Tohru had been more than relieved and grateful when Yuki said he'd go with her. The couple started down the hall, shocked to hear the yelling from where they were. They exchanged a confused look before continuing to walk. Tohru stopped a foot away from the two fan club members.

"Um… Motoko-san? Minami-san?" Tohru squeaked nervously.

They blatantly ignored Tohru and went on bickering until Yuki spoke, "Minagawa-senpai, is there something you need with Minami-san? We have to get going soon…"

"Yuki-kun! Minami here is refusing my generous offer to go with you guys and help you with this project! Since I already did this last year, I have experience and can help," Motoko insisted not paying any attention to the dirty look she received from Minami.

"Ah well… I don't see anything wrong with that…" Yuki said looking sideways at Tohru's smiling face as she nodded in agreement.

With that being said, Motoko squealed happily and latched herself to Yuki's left arm. Tohru gasped softly, her eyes bulging. Tohru swallowed nervously and looked down at her feet. She didn't like Motoko holding the boy she loved like that; Tohru didn't like it at all. Tohru squeezed her eyes shut, praying that Motoko would release Yuki soon. Yuki glanced at Tohru. He had never seen such an expression on her face before. He blinked, wondering if it was jealously that he saw, but why would Tohru be jealous? The question rang in his head as he tried to free his arm without transforming. Minami unintentionally helped him when she furiously tore Motoko off of Yuki.

Glad to have some feeling back in his arm, Yuki smiled and took Tohru's hand in his. Tohru's eyes snapped open when she felt his warm hand enclose hers. She peered down at the pale hand, and then to Yuki's face. She blushed shyly as he tugged her back to their group of friends with two fighting fan girls behind them who were too busy arguing to notice the physical bond between Yuki and Tohru. The four of them walked to Shigure's house, a trip that would have been peaceful and quiet if not for Minami and Motoko who didn't even stop arguing on the way to Shigure's house.

Upon arriving on the Japanese-style house, Yuki and Kyo walked up the porch rather calmly for people who supposedly didn't live here in _Tohru's _house. They slid open the door and removed their shoes, placing them beside the door without a pause or any hesitation. Minami and Motoko stayed behind, observing the house with criticizing eyes. They refused to like anything that belonged to Tohru. Seeing as they still thought this was Tohru's house, they didn't like it one bit. Uo listened to Motoko and Minami's disapproval of the house with a self-satisfied smirk. She couldn't wait to see how they justified what they were saying now when they found out this was where Yuki lived as well.

"We're home…" Yuki and Kyo muttered to Shigure.

Tohru came in next with a more cheerful greeting, "Hello Shigure-san! I'm home with Uo-chan, Hana-chan, Minami-san, and Motoko-senpai to work on our projects if you don't mind."

"Why would I mind having some high school girls over?" Shigure cooed with a sly smile across his face.

"Pervert!" Yuki and Kyo shouted together.

They both flung their book bags at the grown man furiously. The backpacks hit Shigure straight in the face, sending him to the ground. After a minute and a twitch or two, Shigure peeled the backpacks off his red face and sat up dizzily. Uo watched with an amused expression as Tohru waved her hands around worriedly. Motoko and Minami stared with wide distraught eyes. They had never seen _their_ prince act so violently. Actually, they had never even seen Yuki angry. Yuki stood by Tohru, keeping her from checking on Shigure. His eyebrows were contorted, showing his annoyance to anyone who looked his way.

"Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, must you torture your elders? What do you keep in these bags anyways?" Shigure asked gesturing the bags he had set on the floor beside him.

"They're called school books. Seeing as you are an author yourself, I'm assuming you know what those are, but for the information within, I'm not so sure," Yuki replied rather coldly.

"Mroooou… Yuki-kun, you're so cold. I should tell Aya about this behavior!"

"Do me a big favor dear cousin of mine. Just die. Die, and save me the trouble of killing you," Yuki said with a cruel smile across his face.

Yuki held the phone in his hands to prevent Shigure from making said phone call to Ayame as Shigure pouted and attempted to get the phone from him. Minami and Motoko watched _their _prince talk to this man inside _Tohru's _house with confused faces. They didn't understand why Yuki and Kyo would be so comfortable inside _Tohru's _house or why they would even know someone inside _Tohru's_ house. They exchanged a bewildered look, trying to figure out what was going on, but they only saw a reflection of their confusion. Uo sniggered in the background, getting more interested by the second.

"Wait, Yuki-kun, this is your cousin?" Motoko asked with her finger extended towards Shigure.

"Sadly yes," Yuki answered before he hit Shigure on the head with the phone.

"But what is he doing in Honda-san's house?" Minami asked.

"Hmm? What do you mean? Honda-san lives with Kyo, I, and our cousin Shigure," Yuki explained nonchalantly.

"WHAT?!" Motoko and Minami shrieked.

"It's not THAT hard to understand, you know? You see, Prince Charming there invited Tohru to stay with him and the writer dude when her grandpa's house was under construction, but when she went back to her grandpa's, he and Kyo Kyo missed her so they went to her grandpa's house and begged her to come back. So now Tohru lives here," Uo told her with a wry smile.

"WHAT? Yuki-kun, tell me she's lying!" Motoko whined.

"She has the story correct basically," Yuki responded with a shrug.

Motoko's and Minami's faces were deathly pale as they shook their heads in disbelief. They couldn't believe this; they didn't want to believe this. It was bad enough that Tohru was Yuki's friend. It killed them a little inside to know that Tohru was going to be his _wife_ for a project, but to hear that she also lived under the same roof as Yuki, they couldn't take it. No female was supposed to enter the prince's house, and here Tohru had been living with him all this time? They couldn't even think about what went on behind closed doors inside this house. Tohru looked at the two Yuki fans with worry filled eyes. They looked ready to faint at any moment.

"Should we start working now? Uotani-san, you can work with Kyo in his room if you would like, Minami-san you can work with Hanajima-san in Tohru's room if that is alright with her, and Tohru and I can work in my room," Yuki shrugged.

"That's okay with me. I mean… I don't mind…" Tohru smiled.

"Maybe I don't want to work in Kyon's room," Uo muttered.

"Don't worry Tohru-kun, I shall take good care of your room for you," Hana told Tohru.

Minami trembled slightly in her spot. Tohru had her own room in Yuki's house; Tohru had her own room, a place to stay and sleep in Yuki's house. This was unacceptable to both Minami and Motoko. Tohru had already done so many things which were against the Yuki fan club rules. She spoke with Yuki without being with another person, she didn't call him what she was supposed to according to their rules, heck now she lived with him. She probably touched his stuff too. She had to be punished later on. This wasn't right. They couldn't let this go on any longer. Too many rules had been broken. They had to stop Tohru before she bewitched Yuki and stole his vulnerable heart, or at least that's what they thought. Too bad they didn't know Tohru had already won his heart over, without the use of spells and curses.

"Ah! I trust you! Don't worry!" Tohru reassured Hana.

"And I'll go from room to room…" Motoko offered even though she only planned on staying in Yuki's room.

"Okay then…" Yuki mumbled before starting for the stairs.

---

Yuki sat on the floor beside Tohru at the table inside his messy room. A few dirty outfits that had once been draped over chairs, hanging off the ceiling fan, and crumpled on the floor were carelessly shoved under the bed to give a his room a cleaner feeling though that didn't help hide the papers that stuck out of drawers and books that were scattered across the floor and table. Motoko sat on top of Yuki's unmade bed, criticizing practically everything Tohru said. Tohru had gotten used to hardly speaking and letting Yuki read everything to her. She answered a couple questions with a nod or a couple of words, but nothing more.

"Okay… So according to this chart… We have a job during this project that is determined by our class rank… I'm an anesthesiologist… and you would be a… employee at McDonald's…." Yuki told her.

"Ah-ha…. Yes… You are correct… I'll get paid… minimum wage… and you'll get paid 30,000,000 yen a year…" Tohru whispered.

Her pen slipped out of her hand and hit the table with a clank. She gaped at the payment amount and covered her mouth with her hand. She was sure she could live years with that much money. Tohru faced downward embarrassedly and quickly picked up her pen before she got another snide comment from Motoko. She knew that this was just a project. Yuki didn't really have that job, and he wouldn't really be getting that much money every year, but it still was a shock to her. The difference between their jobs was extremely large. She was ashamed to see that her class rank was only good enough to get her a job at McDonald's. Yuki gazed at her worriedly, but he only got her to blush so he went on answering the questions with her.

"Okay so… According to this next chart, with housing costing, about 887,500 yen, food costing 351,100 yen, transportation at 339,600 yen, clothing at 134,100 yen, healthcare at 135,600 yen, childcare and education costing 280,800 yen, and a miscellaneous cost of 280,800 yen, we'll be spending about 24,370 annually on the baby, and with my salary and yours combined we'll be fine," Yuki told her as he scrawled numbers down on the packet.

Tohru's head was spinning as she listened to him list all of those numbers. Raising a child sounded really expensive. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle the child in her stomach if she was going to end up being a single mom working at McDonalds. Without Yuki's salary, she knew that she wouldn't be able to take care of the baby according to the costs Mayu provided her with. She was terrible at math, but she could figure that out. She would be bankrupt. Tohru clutched the plastic doll closer to her for comfort. Tohru hoped her daughter's life wouldn't be lived in the streets. She'd have to work extra hard now so she'd be able to pay for things her daughter would need.

"Looks like we'll have a lot of money left over… So having another child wouldn't be a problem…" Yuki said as he continued to fill out the packet.

"Wha-what?" Tohru squeaked.

"It's question seventeen Tohru," Yuki explained to her with an amused expression.

Tohru looked down with a sheepish smile.

"Hmph, what did you think he meant by that?" Motoko snapped at Tohru.

Tohru bit her lip, too scared to respond. Motoko scared her a lot more lately. Every time Motoko turned her way or said something, Tohru would unintentionally jump a bit out of fright. She couldn't help herself. Before Motoko was just another possessive fan girl, but the way Motoko spoke to her now sent shivers down her spine. Motoko's voice held a new degree of hatred when she spoke to her recently, and Tohru wasn't sure why. All she knew was that Motoko terrified her, but she didn't want Motoko to hate her, regardless of how Motoko treated her.

Yuki paused and glanced down at Tohru with eyes full of concern. It was needless to say that Tohru's wants and needs mattered more to him than Motoko's. Since he was in love with Tohru and knew her better than Motoko, he wanted her to be happy and comfortable. He looked up at Motoko who was supposed to be rotating around rooms. So far, she had only gone to his. He knew Motoko loved him more than anything else, but if she was bothering Tohru by staying here, he didn't want her in his room any longer. He looked around his room, trying to think of a good excuse to ask her to leave without offending her in any way. Lucky for him, he heard a crash and some screams coming from Kyo's room which was across the hall.

"I TOLD YOU! SHUT UP! I don't give a damn about this project! Why don't you do the rest of the fucking packet by yourself if you're so smart?!" Uo snapped furiously.

There were several more crashes and a scream of disdain from Shigure who was now standing outside of Kyo's door shouting about the condition of his house. An alarmed Tohru jumped to her feet. She fretfully opened Yuki's door and started to Kyo's room to make sure Uo and Kyo were okay. Yuki got up after her, catching up to her just in time to pull her away from a chair that came flying out of Kyo's door. Motoko stood up as well, but she lingered by Yuki's door, not wanting to leave. She couldn't leave, not after she had finally gotten inside his room. She wanted to burn the image into her mind.

"BITCH! Why did you have to go and break my bed?! Now where am I supposed to sleep?!!! I told you! You calculated everything wrong! That's it! Jeez!" Kyo roared.

"Well maybe YOU should do the frickin' calculating then Mr. Wise-ass!" Uo shouted.

"Motoko-senpai, why don't you help Kyo and Uotani-san with this project?" Yuki suggested, "They sound like they need more help than us. We're fine on our own. Thank you."

Motoko looked reluctant to leave, but she couldn't bring herself to argue with Yuki. As long as he was happy, she'd do anything for him. If he asked her to, she'd jump off his roof or crawl around the floor and bark like a dog. She sighed, taking a step outside his room. She took in one last whiff of the lovely scent of his room and shot a glare at Tohru before she headed into Kyo's room. Before entering, she covered her head with her hands in attempt to keep anything from hitting her.

Yuki smiled to himself, thankful that Motoko was no longer in his room. He wouldn't say it, but her remarks to Tohru annoyed him. He took her hand and led Tohru back to his room. Inside, Tohru relaxed greatly. She slouched back in her seat and let out a deep breath. With a smile, she gazed up at Yuki, wondering how she could thank him without telling him her fear of Motoko. As if he understood what she was thinking, he grinned at her, "I don't really like her being here either."

She gaped at him. That was one of the last things she expected to hear from her sweet kind prince. He laughed at her expression. Hearing that beautiful sound, she couldn't help but join in with her giggles. She was laughing so hard with him that her pen fell again. This time it rolled off her lap and landed on the floor between them. They both reached for it at the same time, hardly missing each other's foreheads. Yuki's fingers grasped the pen before hers. Her hand only managed to cover his. Tohru stared at the arrangement of their hands before blushing. He looked up at the top of her head, waiting for her to move her hand so he could give her the pen back, but that's not what she did. Instead, she turned her head upwards so that she was facing him again. She managed to do more than that though.

Tohru gazed into his wide silver eyes, wondering what she had done that had shocked him. She blinked innocently a couple of times, failing to realize the placement of her lips over his. It was only when she opened her mouth to speak did she feel his lips against hers. It had been such a quick and subtle movement that she hadn't even noticed the contact. Now her face was a dark shade of red, and she gasped, or so she thought she did, but that sound came from the Yuki fan club president who was standing at the door. Another sound, a mix of a childish giggle and a snort, followed that gasp. Shigure's head was by the door, and he was grinning widely.

Seeing as Tohru was too shocked to move, Yuki was the one who pulled away. His face was a light pink but no where close to the dark red blush across Tohru's face. He turned his face downwards for a second before remembering the pen and lifting it up and handing it to her. Tohru timidly took the pen and hung her head low in an attempt to keep him from noticing her red face. She wanted to disappear and she wanted Motoko and Shigure to stop staring at her, but most of all, she had to know how Yuki felt about what had just happened between them. Was he offended?

"Ooh! Naughty Yuki-kun! Don't steal my little housewife's kisses!" Shigure exclaimed a little louder than necessary.

"Shut it Shigure. It was an accident," Yuki told him calmly.

"Suuuuuuuuure it was!"

Motoko stormed into the room angrily, extending a shaky finger towards Tohru, "YOU! How dare you steal Yuki-sama's first kiss!"

Tohru's head jerked up. Her embarrassment was quickly replaced with terror, but the moment could hardly be serious with Shigure in the room. At Motoko's comment, Shigure had to burst out laughing hysterically. He dropped down on the floor and rolled around for a minute before he tried to speak. Yuki glowered at the man, and kicked him in the abdomen. That was enough to stop Shigure's hysterical fit. Shigure sat up again and rubbed his stomach with a partially serious expression.

"Y-Yuki-sa-sama? First kiss? Har-Hardly! He's not even an innocent virgin anymore!" Shigure choked out.

"SHUT UP!" Yuki snapped as he kicked Shigure again.

"No denials Yuki-saaaaaaaaaama?" Shigure laughed.

Yuki was silent while Shigure continued to laugh. Motoko's hand dropped lifelessly down to her side as her face turned stark white. Her Yuki couldn't have lost his virginity already... A thump sounded as Motoko's body hit the ground. The sound was soon followed by a similar sound which was caused by Minami's body. She didn't see the kiss, but Shigure had spoken rather loudly. Both girls were shocked enough to faint when they heard what Shigure had to say about _their _prince.

Tohru's jaw dropped. The kiss and her embarrassment were cast aside as she scurried off to help Motoko. The kiss had been pushed to the back of her mind, but in no way had it been forgotten. The moment, the warmth, the taste of his lips… They were all engraved into her mind. She wouldn't forget it, not now or ever, and neither would he.


	16. Week 16

Snoring usually is looked down upon as a bad trait. It always had been seen as something hideous that nobody wanted to admit they did, but of course, the soft snores coming from the prince were nothing but a beautifully composed melody. Everyone stared as another piece of chalk flew out of Mayu's hand and broke against the top of Yuki's head. The chunks of white chalk crashed down around Yuki's desk, joining the rest of the broken bits. Mayu looked down at the empty box that was once full of brand new chalk and then back at Yuki who was still sleeping soundly with white powder sprinkled over his silver locks.

Tohru bit her lip worriedly and watched Yuki from the corner of her eye. Noticing a hunk of chalk still wedged under his silver strands, Tohru reached over and dug it out for him, unaware of all the eyes that observed her every movement. The piece of chalk slid out of her fingers and fell on the floor when she noticed that she was now the center of attention. Embarrassedly, she looked down at her desk and folded her hands together. The only sound in the room came from Yuki and Kyo. Yuki continued to snore softly, and Kyo was laughing, either at Yuki or at Tohru's timid posture.

Yuki turned his head over, sending the white dust up into the air. The tiny particles were treated as something finer than pixie dust as they landed on nearby girls. They giggled and blushed. Some even made envelopes out of notebook paper and scraped whatever chalk they could get their hands on into the envelopes to save. Obsessive would be an understatement. Anything Yuki touched was valued more than gold at Kaibara High School.

Mayu let out an exasperated sigh, "Ignore Sohma… Take out your books and turn to page 54…"

The class did as they were told, listening to the lecture reluctantly. Everyone found this sleeping Yuki much more amusing. He slept through four periods, straight into lunch without showing any signs of waking up. Even after the legs of chairs screeched, scraping against the floor, as students got out of their seats, Yuki was still fast asleep. Tohru was the only student left in her seat (besides Yuki) after the bell rung a second time. She didn't want to go outside to the usual place where she ate lunch with her friends and leave Yuki here alone since she knew how disoriented he was when he awoke.

"Tohru, are you coming to eat lunch?" Uo called from the doorway.

Tohru looked at Yuki before responding, "Um… I think I'll eat in here today…"

Uo raised her eyebrows, "You can leave the prince for forty minutes… I'm sure he won't even notice that you're gone."

Tohru glanced at Yuki again uneasily. If there was one thing that woke Yuki up –besides a rash comment from Kyo- it was the smell of food, and if there was no one here when he awoke, he'd most likely walk into something and hurt himself, or even worse, he could run into a girl and expose his curse to the school. She couldn't let Yuki do either of those if she could help it. Staying inside for lunch wasn't a big deal anyways, but Uo didn't seem to believe the same thing. Uo walked back over to Tohru and urged her to come outside and eat. Tohru shook her head at Uo's persistency.

"I can't… What if he wakes up? He'll be hungry…"

"He can find us at our usual spot. He's not a baby," Uo pointed out.

"I know… But… He might um… run into something…" Tohru breathed worriedly.

"Run into something?" Uo repeated skeptically.

Tohru nodded in confirmation. She knew how ridiculous that sounded, but it was true. Yuki was a refined teenager, not a klutz like her, but when Yuki was half asleep, he didn't function as well as he usually did. Just this morning, he had run into three different walls, knocked over a vase, and tripped before he made it to the table and went back to sleep. If she hadn't been there, Shigure would have drawn a mustache on Yuki's face too, and Kyo would have started a fight. Nope, she couldn't leave Yuki by himself. Besides, she could see a couple of Yuki fan girls lingering by the door, ready to pounce on their unconscious prince.

"Just leave the damn rat. Who cares if he runs into something? He can rot in-" Kyo started, but before he could finish, he was flying across the room.

He crashed into the front board with a shattering sound. His body hung there momentarily before he slid off and fell to the ground. It only took half a second before the blackboard crumbled and dropped on top of him. Everyone stopped what they were doing to observe the battered Kyo. Uo and Hana switched their gazes from the indent in the wall, to the motionless pile underneath, and then finally to Yuki, who still had his head on the table and his eyes closed; the only difference was his raised hand. Tohru gaped and jumped out of her seat, hurrying over to the front of the room to unearth Kyo's body while everyone else moved along to stare at Yuki. Yuki slowly lifted his head and lowered his arm, all while glaring at the heap of rubble Kyo was under.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head, "That's really unnecessary Honda-san. You should just leave him there so maybe he can just die already."

At Yuki's comment, Kyo roared back to life and sprung to his feet, pointing accusingly at Yuki, "I thought you were asleep!"

"And I thought you were dead. Pity that we had to be wrong…" Yuki said with a careless shrug.

Tohru raised her hand to remove a piece of the blackboard off of Kyo's shoulder, but before she could, Kyo shrugged it off and moved out of her range. She looked down and dropped her hand, looking a little hurt, but she was easily distracted by the murmurs floating around the room. Her eyes scanned the room, her eyes resting on each dawdling student for a second each. Everyone's gazes flickered back and forth between Yuki and Kyo. Neither of the two had stopped glowering at the other. They had heard from Yuki the first day Kyo started school here that they didn't get along well, but no one suspected it to be this bad. Who would expect the kind, reserved prince to toss a teenager across the room and have a glaring contest after saying malevolent things?

"You should be the one who dies…I will kill you one of these days…" Kyo muttered.

Yuki shrugged again, "Good luck with that… Wake me up when you're ready…"

His eyes shifted around the room with a softer look before he settled his head back down on the desk, already on the verge of sleep again. Kyo scowled at Yuki for a short moment before he stormed out of the room. Tohru glanced at the doorway where Kyo had crossed just a second ago before she refocused on Yuki. Tohru jolted up and rushed over to Yuki's desk, shaking his shoulder before he became completely lifeless, "Yuki-kun?! Aren't you hungry? Do you want me to get your lunch? You slept through breakfast…"

"No… I'm tired… I'll eat later…" Yuki muttered before his eyes closed.

Tohru's mouth slid downwards at the sides. She stopped shaking him but kneeled down beside his desk with a fretful expression. He offered her a tiny smile and patted her head to let her know that he was alright before he drifted off to sleep, forgetting to move his hand. Tohru was too timid to shove his hand away, not that she really wanted to, but it was embarrassing to be seen like this. To her joy, everyone in the room was too busy talking to notice Yuki's hand atop her head, everyone except for Hana who saw everything, but her happiness was short lived. Her smile faded into a frown as she listened to what they were saying about Yuki.

"What do you think he did all night?"

"Homework?"

"Nah, knowing Sohma, he probably finished that as soon as he got home…"

"He was probably up all night with a girl if you know what I mean… Motoko and Minami were sulking over his… virginity the other day…"

"…No way… You're kidding, right?"

Tohru glanced up at the two boys loitering by the door. Her eyebrows knitted together with worry, the best she could manage at something relatively close to a glare. Tohru got up to her feet, causing Yuki's hand to drop back to his side with a soft thud. The noise was only audible to her, but it was enough to make a blush creep back onto her face as she trotted over to the boys. Tohru balled her hands into small fists and pursed her lips together to help her gather up all the courage she had –which wasn't very much- so she could do what she needed to.

"Y-Yuki-kun's not like that…. He w-wouldn't do things l-like that," Tohru stammered.

She wasn't sure why she was bothering at trying to defend Yuki when she was so terrible at sticking up for herself. He was her friend of course, so she had to try. She couldn't just sit around and listen to them make fun of Yuki, but she couldn't make her voice sound remotely steady or strong. She was probably encouraging them to go on with her defensive skills. Tohru gulped down her desire to retreat and stood as firmly as she could. Nothing that bad could happen with Uo and Hana in the room. If worse came to worse, they'd defend her. They wouldn't be defending Yuki with her, but their help would be appreciated.

"How would you know Honda? Just because you live with him doesn't mean you know what goes around in his room when you're asleep…"

"Ah… Um… I'm sorry…" Tohru whispered in defeat.

Everyone already knew that she lived with Yuki thanks to Minami and Motoko. They didn't need to know that the reason Yuki wasn't a virgin anymore was because of her and her condition, and they never would need to know that she did know what went on in his room when she was supposed to be sleeping. She remembered going to his room nearly every night during the first weeks of her pregnancy because she couldn't sleep. None of those times she went in there unannounced did she see anyone but Yuki in there. Besides, she cleaned his room for him as well. She never found anything that suggested that Yuki was doing something inappropriate. Even without such things, she knew Yuki, and she knew he wasn't the type of person who would do such immoral things.

"Tohru, do you really mean that? Do you really think your _boyfriend_ is cheating on you every night?"

"B-bo-boyfriend?" Tohru sputtered embarrassedly.

"Yeah… Isn't that what you call a guy you kissed?" Uo asked nonchalantly.

"K-kissed?" Tohru squeaked.

Her face turned bright red. She knew everyone left in the room was staring at her. She could feel everyone's eyes burning individual holes through her body. The last thing she needed was another reason for her classmates to hate her. Most of them started to ignore her after they found out that she lived with their prince. She didn't want to think about what they'd do to her now that they knew about her and Yuki's accidental kiss. Tohru swallowed nervously and stole a glance in Yuki's direction to make sure he was still asleep. To her relief, she couldn't see any sign of consciousness. She didn't want him to hear her make a fool of herself. He heard and saw enough of that already.

"Yeah. We heard you supposedly molested the prince last week," Uo snickered.

"Molest?!" Tohru cried before shaking her head to the side frantically, "No, no, no, no! It was an accident! I-I didn't mean to… We were picking up the same thing, and w-we looked up… I mean! Unless… He said it that way…"

Tohru trailed off, too embarrassed to go on. Her blush had spread from just her cheeks to her whole face. She couldn't even bring herself to look up at her two best friends anymore. Tohru fidgeted in her spot, fiddling with the hem of her top out of humiliation. Now she couldn't get the image of Yuki's shocked face from when she had kissed him out of her head, nor could she stop thinking about the feel of his lips when they were against hers. She hadn't expected her first kiss to be like that, but she couldn't say she was disappointed, more like elated and embarrassed. Her first kiss had been with the prince of her dreams, who would be disappointed? It seemed a bit odd to her that she had lost her virginity before giving away her first kiss, but then again, that night had been focused on conception, not romance or pleasure.

"A kiss is still a kiss…" Hana added with a faint smile.

"Uh-huh… So has he asked you out yet?"

"A-asked m-me ou-out? W-why would he do th-that?" Tohru stuttered nervously.

"Tohru, Tohru, Tohru… If you keep this up… You'll have your picture in the dictionary, right beside the definition of 'dense'," Uo muttered.

"Eh? Dense? How come?"

Uo opened her mouth to tell Tohru, but Hana covered her mouth before Uo could get a word out, "It is not our place to tell…"

Tohru cocked her head to the side, still utterly clueless. Uo sighed and grabbed Tohru's arm, dragging her up to her feet. Uo looked around the room, trying to look for a distraction before she shook Tohru until she realized that Yuki liked her more than a friend should, or she was going to wake up Yuki and force him to confess to Tohru already. She took a deep breath and pointed to the box that stuck out of Tohru's bag, "Eat…. Lunch is over in ten minutes…"

Tohru nodded and bent over to pull her lunch box out of her backpack. She frowned slightly when she noticed Yuki's besides hers in her bag -she had packed his lunch and brought it to school for him. She took both out, setting them on her desk and glancing at Yuki. He didn't look like he was going to wake up anytime soon. Her forehead creased with worry. She knew he had said he was more sleepy than hungry, but she also knew that it wasn't healthy to skip both breakfast and lunch. Still, she knew better than to try and wake him. That would be impossible, but she seemed to be the only concerned person. Uo plopped herself down on top of Kyo's desk while Hana pulled a chair up to Tohru's desk. The two of them only worried about the food before them.

"So what made Prince Charming like that?" Uo asked, lifting her chin in Yuki's direction.

Tohru looked down, "It's my fault… I didn't wake up quick enough to put the key in the baby… So he woke up each time as well… He almost broke the door down… and the baby too. I don't think he likes this project too much…"

Uo snorted as she laughed, imagining the scene of Tohru walking in on Yuki about to smash the baby. She would have laughed harder if Yuki had broken the baby after all. It would have been more than interesting to see how Mayu reacted. He and Tohru would have failed the project for sure.

"Tohru, that's not your fault," Hana told her.

"I should have made him stay home though… He almost fell down the stairs, and he fell asleep at the table before I could give him his breakfast… I tried to tell him to stay home, but he remembered we had a test today that he didn't want to miss…" Tohru continued.

She poked around her food, occasionally taking a bite or two. Tohru was too worried about Yuki and Kyo to be hungry. Kyo had stomped off without taking his lunch with him. She knew he was probably on the roof, but she couldn't go up and give it to him. The baby didn't seem to like it when she went to high, windy places, and she was positive that Uo and Hana wouldn't agree to go up there for her. Yuki was her main concern though. Kyo had at least eaten a lot at breakfast. She looked over at Yuki again and let out a sigh.

"Well, he's going to miss the test anyways at this rate…" Uo muttered.

Tohru nodded, only partially listening to what her friends were saying.

"We have gym next… He cannot possibly sleep through that," Hana pointed out.

"Hopefully," Tohru gave them a faint smile though she didn't really believe it. If Yuki even left his seat and walked to gym, he'd probably fall asleep on a bench in the locker room. She wasn't counting on seeing him enter the gym. She was practically praying that he wouldn't leave the locker room. Gym wouldn't be very safe for someone who was half asleep. He could trip, run into something or someone, get hit, or other various things she didn't want to think about, and with her athletic skills, she wouldn't be able to protect him whatsoever. She'd do more damage than good.

"Don't waste your time worrying about that damn rat. Just leave him here to sleep if you're so worried," Kyo rolled his eyes at her worried expression.

"Kyo-kun! You're back!" Tohru cried. Her head jerked up, and the strawberry she was holding fell out of her hands. She had been too distracted to even hear him reenter the room.

"Yeah… I had to come back. I forgot my lunch…" Kyo muttered. He sauntered back to his desk without a look towards Yuki, Uo, or Hana. He managed to stuff his whole lunch down before the bell rung while Tohru only ate another strawberry. She forced a smile onto her face to keep Uo and Hana from worrying about her. Quickly, she stuffed her and Yuki's lunch boxes back into her backpack and stood up. She hesitated before taking a step away from her desk and towards the door where Uo and Hana were waiting for her. She turned back and stared at Yuki.

"Are you sure we should leave him here?" Tohru asked.

"Tohru, c'mon. He won't wake up if the building explodes," Uo reassured her with a grin.

Tohru reluctantly left the room with Uo and Hana, only to start feeling nauseous. Maybe she should have eaten more of her lunch. She clutched her stomach, taking a few steps down the hall before the pain became unbearable. She could feel her breakfast and what she had just eaten begin to crawl up her throat.

"Umm… I'll meet you guys in class!" Tohru choked out before covering her mouth and darting off to the bathroom.

Uo and Hana exchanged the same concerned look. They were about to check on her, but a passing teacher ushered them along to class. When Tohru stepped out the bathroom, she wasn't shocked to see that Uo and Hana weren't there anymore; what shocked her was the crowd of Yuki fan club girls around the bathroom waiting for her. Shocked, Tohru stumbled backwards, falling against the bathroom door. The door swung open and Tohru ended up sitting on the ground with a bewildered expression. None of the girls bothered to muffle their laughs, and Tohru was too nervous to get back onto her feet.

"Tohru, you might want to be more careful. Falling like that can't be good for the baby," Minami sneered.

Tohru's eyes shot open. She tensed up and brought her knees to her chest, subconsciously placing a barrier between the baby inside of her and the fan girls. She couldn't respond to them. They weren't supposed to know about her baby though it was getting hard not to notice her belly now. She had been extremely thin before, and now, she looked more than a little chubby in the abdominal area. She bit her lip, praying that they would just leave her and her baby alone.

"No denials?" Motoko glared at her.

Tohru looked down, hiding her eyes behind her bangs. Motoko yanked Tohru up by her arm. Tohru's body heaved towards the door, but Motoko made no attempt to steady the girl. Her shoulder hit the bathroom door, making Tohru wince, but no one seemed to care about her wellbeing. Motoko jerked her back towards her, and Tohru tensed up, cringing from a blow she never received physically. She knew these girls weren't here to throw her a baby shower and congratulate her. The dark looks in their eyes told her everything.

"Whore… You act all innocent and childish at school, but you secretly sleep with men at night? Is that your job? Being a prostitute?" Minami snapped.

"I-I'm not a pr-prostitute…" Tohru whispered.  
Motoko slapped her across the face. Tohru choked back a whimper of pain, but she couldn't fight off the tears that bubbled out of her stinging eyes. Her tears only seemed to excite the fan club members. They seemed to be happier when she was suffering. Tohru covered her cheek, trying her best not to panic at this point. She needed to think clearly so she could get herself and her baby out of this situation safe and sound.

"Serves you right to be pregnant. Sleeping around is just sick. That baby should make you learn your stupid lesson. I'm surprised you didn't get an abortion."

"Maybe we can help you with that… We'll help you get an abortion…"

Tohru's eyes widened even more. She wrapped both of her arms around her stomach and shook her head back and forth, her eyes never leaving the fiery eyes of Motoko. She trembled as she yanked herself out of Motoko's grasp. Her back hit the tiled wall of the bathroom. She looked behind herself. She had nowhere to escape. Tohru was trapped in a tiny bathroom. There were no windows to climb out of. Her only way to get out would be the door, but the fan club was blocking it. Her lip quivered as her legs crumbled, leaving her on the ground once more.

"Why are you so scared? You don't really want this baby, do you?" Motoko laughed as she twisted a sharp looking tool around her fingers.

"No… I want it… Please… Don't…" Tohru murmured, trying to cover up her stomach.

"Why? You just got knocked up by some retarded man," Minami gave her a disgusted look.

Tohru shook her head again and squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she had told Hana and Uo to stay with her after all. They would have protected her easily. Nobody ever tried to pick on her with them around. Tohru tightened her hold around her stomach and braced herself for whatever they had planned for her. She let her tears fall freely now. She wasn't completely sure what they were going to do to her, but there was no doubt in her mind that they were planning to do something to her baby too. They were going to take the only child she'd ever have away from her. She could hear them closing in around her, and she could feel two hands wrap around her arms, ready to pull them off of her belly…

"I'm a retarded man?"

Every pair of eyes flew to the owner of that voice with a surprised expression. Tohru's jaw dropped. She knew that voice. Her arms were released out of pure shock, and Tohru immediately pushed herself up into a standing position. Without a second thought, she shoved her way past the Yuki fan club and ran behind Yuki. She hid behind him with a tearstained face that made Yuki's face contort with concern. Yuki hated himself at the moment for going back to sleep when he should have been following her around so things like this wouldn't happen. He knew how his fan club felt about Tohru.

"Are you okay Tohru?" Yuki asked her in a gentle voice.

Tohru shook her head, "N-no… I-I don't want to lose my baby…"

"What happened?"   
Tohru opened her mouth to explain, but nothing more than whimpers and sobs would come out. Yuki waited a moment for Tohru to catch her breath, but she couldn't manage to stifle her cries. He touched her arm, trying to calm her down, but relaxing didn't seem to be an option for her at the moment. His expression hardened with anger. Yuki hadn't been around to hear what they had said to Tohru or see what they had done so far, but he could figure out what they were going to do to her.

"What did you do to her?" Yuki questioned in the coolest voice he could manage.

"N-nothing Yuki-kun! She just begged us to help her have an abortion!" Minami squealed.

"And how were you going to help her…? With that?" Yuki continued, staring at the sharpened object in Motoko's hands.

"She insisted! She gave us this tool!" Motoko exclaimed.

Yuki gazed at them skeptically. He didn't know whether he should be offended by what they were saying or amused. Did they really think he was stupid enough to believe that Tohru wanted an abortion? Their eyes even had the words guilty written in them. If they all weren't frail girls, he would have beaten them all up for making Tohru cry like this, but if they had hurt Tohru or their baby… It wouldn't have mattered that they were weak fan girls. He didn't even want to imagine what he would have done to each and every one of them.

"Really! We wouldn't lie to you Yuki-kun!" Minami cried.

"I don't believe you."

"She admitted that she let some foreign idiot have his way with her for 30,000 yen!" Minami shouted.

"That's a real creative story you made up, Minami-san. Have you ever considered being an author? Though next time, I'd prefer if I wasn't portrayed as such a vile man," Yuki said with a smile across his face.

"Er… What do you mean by that Yuki-kun?" Motoko asked.  
"Tohru is carrying _my_ baby of course," Yuki told them, still smiling a princely smile.

Minutes flew by with no sound. The Yuki fan club stood there with their eyes wide open and their mouths even larger while Yuki stared back, nonchalantly beaming. Tohru's face was a mirror image of Motoko's. She hadn't expected Yuki to tell them that. Finally, the silence was broken. The tool that was once in Motoko's fingers fell onto the ground with a thump and rolled towards Yuki and Tohru. Tohru, still frightened, flinched and jumped away from the weapon that would have killed her child if Yuki hadn't stepped in.

"W-what?" Minami uttered in disbelief.

"You heard me. Tohru is going to have my baby," Yuki restated.

He shrugged and took Tohru's hand in his, "Come on Tohru… We're already late for gym."

Yuki pulled Tohru down the hallway without another glance back. Tohru stumbled along with him, not bothering to hide her confusion or shock. Seeing those stunned looks across their faces had satisfied him. He chuckled softly to himself after looking at Tohru and checking her for any injury for the fifth time. She didn't look hurt physically. Her mental distress was visible to him through the tears that were still splattered across her cheeks though. Yuki stopped walking long enough to lean over and wipe the tears from her face before he continued. Tohru's heart lurched from his touch, and she had to start talking to keep her heart preoccupied so it wouldn't jump out of her chest.

"Y-Yuki-kun! I t-thought you were asleep," Tohru whispered, too scared to see whether her voice would crack or not.

"Oh… Haru woke me up…"

---

"_Wake up sleeping beauty…" Haru spoke from atop Tohru's desk, leisurely swinging his legs back and forth._

_Receiving no response, Haru hopped off Tohru's desk and leaned over Yuki. He stood there, observing the sleeping boy, attempting to figure out a way to rouse him. He ran his forefinger and thumb down his chin, "A kiss from a prince is the only thing that'll wake sleeping beauty… Too bad the prince is the one asleep this time… Maybe Honda-san would do… How does that sound to you Yuki?"_

_Yuki's hand shot up and grasped the collar of Haru's school uniform, "Shut up."_

"_Speaking of Honda-san… I saw her early with some of the girls from your fan club. I think she was crying," Haru went on without a pause though he was smiling wickedly now, glad to see that his choice of words had done what they were supposed to._

"_What?! Why didn't you do anything?" Yuki snapped._

_He released Haru's collar and raced out of the room, too eager to help Tohru to wait a minute longer and find out where Haru had seen Tohru. Still, even without a hint to where Tohru was, Yuki found her in less than a minute, partially because the bathroom she had gone to was just several feet away from the classroom and because he could recognize her crying and his fan club's voices. _

---

Yuki shook his head, too embarrassed to tell the story to Tohru because of what Haru had said. There was no point in making it awkward between them. Tohru mistook his embarrassed gesture for one of annoyance. She faced the floor, trying to come up with a suitable apology to make up for all the trouble she had caused him, but her brain didn't seem to want to cooperate with her today. Tohru frowned, reluctantly settling for a regular apology, "Umm… Yuki-kun, I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"For making you come help me and for making you tell them about… our baby…"

"Tohru, you didn't make me do a thing. I did what I wanted to," Yuki assured her.

"B-but your fan club…" Tohru whispered.

"I didn't ask for my own fan club, Tohru. I don't really know much about any of them, and they don't understand me at all… It doesn't matter if I don't have a fan club anymore tomorrow. Maybe a year or two ago I would have cared… But I think I sort of want them to hate me now so they'll leave you alone… So don't worry about it… I did what I wanted to," Yuki repeated.

Tohru turned to face him, tilting her head to the side. She only vaguely understood what he was saying. Most people would be honored to have their own fan club, but here he was, glad to be rid of his. She had to admit that she was happy to hear that he wasn't angry at her for dismantling his fan club. She could see it in their faces. They were almost repulsed at Yuki; they were disgusted because the baby inside of her was his. She doubted they would be worshipping him anymore thanks to her, but what bothered her was that she didn't care. She was almost happy to know that. She wanted to keep Yuki to herself, and that thought made her scold herself. She didn't own Yuki. She couldn't restrain him with petty thoughts like that. Tohru shook her head and gave him a perplexed look.

"Why would it matter a year or two ago but not now?"

"_Because two years ago, I hadn't met the girl who accepted me for who I am yet… Two years ago, I didn't know someone who would befriend me, regardless of my flaws…Back then, I didn't know you, Tohru…Before, I needed that fan club to convince myself that someone did care about me…But I have you now…" _

"We better get changed for gym now. See you in class, Tohru," Yuki grinned, keeping his response to her question to himself.

Tohru turned her head, surprised to see that the door to the girl's locker room was beside her. By the time she looked up again, Yuki was no longer at her side. He was already half way down the hallway, headed towards the boy's locker room. She glanced down at her watch, her eyes doubling with fright as she realized gym class was halfway over already.


	17. Week 17

Blood. Blood seeped down her legs and soaked her blanket and mattress. Everything around her body turned dark red and became sticky. Confused, Tohru patted her wet bed. Where had all this blood come from? She lifted her blanket off of her legs and stared wide-eyed at the area between her legs, the source of the blood apparently. Blood had stained her pajama bottoms a dull red color. Had she forgotten about her period? No, she wasn't supposed to be having her period because she was pregnant with Yuki's baby. So why was blood pouring out of her? Before she had time to conclude anything, a soft cry reached her ears. Tohru looked around wildly for whoever was crying and found the sound was coming from a bloody object at the foot of her bed. Crawling over to the end of her bed, she saw the object was a baby smaller than her hand.

The baby continued crying and muttered one word to her, "Miscarriage."

Tohru screamed and flung the puny baby across her room, denying what she had just been told. She sat there, shaking her head furiously as blood continued to drip out of her. It took her a minute to realize that she had just chucked her 'baby' to the other end of her room. Praying that she hadn't killed the poor little thing, she quickly made her way over to the now silent infant. For half a second, she could only stare at the lifeless corpse that had been crying just a moment ago.

Tohru dropped down to her knees with tears streaming down her face. She picked up the baby, leaving behind the puddle of blood on the floor. She hugged the baby tightly to her chest, weeping a heart wrenching sound. Then, she heard someone call her name, and suddenly, she was shaking, and the baby dropped out of her arms. She reached for the child, but it vanished before her eyes. The color drained out of her vision, and she started falling, but the room never stopped spinning.

Tohru screamed and shot up in her bed. She glanced around her; an air of disorientation surrounded her. Her eyes settled upon the worried gray eyes of Yuki. His hands were rested on her shoulders, and his mouth hung open. So he had been the one who had called her name and shaken her. Yuki looked like he had something to say, but she didn't let him get a word out. Tohru threw her arms around his chest and buried her face into his chest, sobbing and telling him about her dream in a strangled voice at the same time.

The curse was forgotten at the moment by the two of them, but surprisingly, there was no poof of smoke or an appearance of a rat. Yuki was too preoccupied by the crying brunette to realize that he was actually holding her in his arms.

After she had finished telling her nightmare, her sobs faded into a few sniffles and whimpers. Yuki's hold around her just tightened. There were no words that could accurately describe the relief the both of them felt at the moment to know her nightmare hadn't been a reality. Both of them knew how much Tohru wanted the baby, but the soon to be mother had no idea that Yuki was also looking forward to having their baby around. He stroked her long dark hair in attempt to comfort the two of them. Tohru gripped his shirt tightly in her fists as she took deep breaths to calm herself.

"Tohru, relax… It was just a dream…" Yuki breathed into her ear.

"I was scared… I was so scared, Yuki-kun! I don't want to lose this baby!!!" Tohru choked out.

Yuki nodded, understanding how she felt perfectly. She had already thought she was going to have a miscarriage because of the karyotype, and this dream was just another thing that added to her worries and stress level. He pressed her closer to him and felt something move around by his abdomen. His eyebrows furrowed with confusion. At first, he had assumed it was Tohru, but her hands were clasped together behind his back. Yuki pulled away from her after he felt the movement again. Tohru glanced up at him, immediately thinking she had somehow offended him in some way. She couldn't even get out an apology before Yuki realized what the cause of the motion was.

"Tohru! The baby is kicking," Yuki exclaimed.

She stared blankly back at his excited face. He put one of his hands on top of her slightly round belly with a smile on his face. Tohru blushed and looked away from him until she realized he wasn't feeling her around but feeling the baby's kicks instead. Her eyes lit up at this discovery, and she instantly planted her hands over Yuki's, wanting to feel the baby too. It took her a second to figure out that she didn't need to keep her hands there, like Yuki did, to feel the baby move. This time the baby kicked, she could feel it in her stomach. It was a subtle movement that pressed against her stomach. It wasn't strong enough to cause pain, only a mild discomfort. She had been too distracted to feel the first couple, but now she could. They were hardly noticeable as of now but still an extraordinary finding.

Her face broke out in a smile when Yuki peered up at her, her cheerful mood reflected in his face. They were both completely speechless at this point. The kicking reassured the young parents. It showed them the baby was strong enough to flail around, and that was enough to excite them. Yuki couldn't help what he did next; he wrapped his arms around her and embraced her again. Tohru beamed and shyly hugged him back. She sat there in his arms for a minute before her second realization of the early morning struck her.

"You're hugging me…" Tohru pointed out simply as she gazed up at Yuki.

Yuki looked down at Tohru with a baffled expression. He released her, at first, believing she didn't feel comfortable with him holding her, but when he saw her smiling face, he knew that wasn't the case. What was his tired brain missing? The three words she had said rung in his head several times until he finally understood what she meant by that. He was unable to contain the tears that began to bubble out of his eyes. Yuki drew her back into his arms, partially to keep her from seeing him cry over this and half because he just wanted to be consciously aware of what it was like to hold Tohru, a female who wasn't cursed and the person he long to hug the most, in his arms again.

Tohru was crying all over again, but these tears were different from the ones she had shed previously; these were tears of joy. She couldn't believe she was hugging Yuki, the boy who used to turn into a rat every time their torsos made contact. His arms felt warmer and nicer than she had expected. Her body was filled with unexpected joy.

"I'm hugging you…" he repeated, glancing down at his body for the tenth time to see whether he really was still human or not.

This feeling of having an un-cursed female in his arms was unbelievable, the warmth indescribable, having her arms locked around him incredible, this list was endless, and so were his tears. His tears refused to stop. The burden that had been with him since his birth was gone or at least, to the point where he could hug Tohru. He only really cared about being able to hold her in his arms and being able to properly comfort her. There was no reason for him to be hugging any other female nor could he see a reason for his crying. He felt childish for letting tears spill over something so _trivial_, but at least, he wasn't the only one crying. Tohru was practically bawling now. The longer they embraced, the happier she was and the harder she cried.

"I can't believe you're crying over this… What are you going to do when the baby comes?" Yuki laughed softly as he rubbed her back.

"You're crying too…" Tohru whispered.

"You're right. I can't believe **we're** crying over this. What are **we** going to do when the baby comes?" Yuki corrected himself with a grin.

For some reason, the way he had reworded his statements made her happy. Maybe it was because his words made her feel as if he would still be there for her and the baby when it was born. Maybe he wouldn't, but at the moment, she was enjoying the comforting feeling of reassurance and the warmth of his arms.

He was going to be a good father, whether he would be a father figure to her child or not. If he was this responsible as a teenager, there was no doubt that his future family would be well taken care of and happy. His children would be smart and gorgeous because they'll have his genes, and his wife, whoever she'll turn out to be, will be the luckiest woman in the world. Tohru subconsciously wished to be his wife one day or girlfriend at least, but that was unlikely. She knew she was stupid, clumsy, and a pregnant sixteen-year-old. There were many girls who're more suitable for Yuki, the perfect flawless prince.

"Thank you… Thank you for whatever it is that you did…" Yuki murmured into her ear.

Tohru lifted her face up, revealing her dumbstruck expression. She pointed her finger to herself, poking herself in the center of her chest, "Me?"

Yuki nodded, "Who else would I be speaking to?"

"Bu-but I didn't do anything special! I'm sure your curse didn't break because of me! I mean… I'm just a normal girl! I couldn't have-"

He placed one finger over her lips, "We've been cursed for lifetimes. How else would the curse break if not by you? You're the only change that has occurred in the lives of us juunishi. Believe me when I tell you that you broke my curse… Besides, you're not just a normal girl. You **are** special."

She blushed and looked away from him. He drew her back into his arms for another embrace, still unable to believe he was actually hugging her. Tohru's blush darkened.

He might still be unaware of the situation, but she wasn't. He was a boy, who was in her room in the middle of the night; they were alone, and he was holding her in his arms. If anyone were to catch them, she would just die of embarrassment, but no one could be watching them, or so she thought. Tohru relaxed slightly and let herself dwell in his arms, subconsciously making an attempt to memorize the feeling of his embrace. This was just a hug, a simple embrace most people experienced numerous times, but this was the first hug he had received in years. This concept of hugging was still something his sleepy embrace deprived mind couldn't grasp, but he knew one thing: he liked this sensation he felt from a hug, and he wanted to experience it more often, preferably with Tohru, Tohru, his dear, sweet, precious Tohru…

Tohru smiled. Her day had started out with a nightmare she wished she could forget, but now she was trapped in a moment she wanted to remember forever.

---

Outside Tohru's room, a pair of eyes watched the couple embracing on her bed. It shattered his heart to see them being so intimate. Fury, envy, and guilt burned in the fiery eyes. Anger because he hated seeing the girl he loved being held by his nemesis, jealously because he wanted to be the one she held and loved, and guilt for causing her to fret for weeks since he learned of her pregnancy. There was a twinge of sadness in his eyes as well. He was upset for losing to Yuki once again. He didn't have Tohru's heart, and he couldn't even beat him to her room when she had screamed. Yuki was supposed to be a heavy sleeper, yet when Kyo reached Tohru's room, she was already being comforted by Yuki. At this point, he couldn't help but wonder how things would have turned out if he had been here when she needed a father for her child.

Would Yuki still be the one she loved, or would he have changed that…?

Kyo let out a half chuckle under his breath. He smiled a weak smile of self pity and loathing. No, he didn't detest himself for not being there for her and not being the one she chose, he hated himself for acting so cold towards her. He felt resentment towards himself for acting so bitter around her. There was no way he could go back and change that; he had no time machine, but at least, now he could admit that he had acted like a jerk around her. All he could do now was apologize to her and hope she would forgive him. He would say sorry, regardless of how bad he was with apologies and how embarrassed he'd be to do it, but he would, then he'd let her know that her pregnancy was fine with him. He didn't care about it anymore.

The anger had washed over him like a tide, and he was left feeling numb, empty, and alone.

He needed to be loved too.

Where was the one just for him?

He shook his head and walked away from Tohru's room, leaving his heart at her door. It hurt, unrequited love hurt. It stabbed him repeatedly and its beating felt worse than the beatings he received from Yuki on a regular basis. This hurt him within, especially since he knew the healing process would be long and tedious, and there was nothing he could do to speed it up.

Now, he couldn't help but think of Kagura. Was this how she felt every time he looked at Tohru? If her heart tore apart every time that happened, he couldn't see how Kagura still smiled. She had to have an amazing amount of strength to be able to do that, both mentally and physically. Too bad he wasn't as strong as she was. He sank down on his bed and punched his pillow several times, imagining the white mass as Yuki, but Kyo didn't feel one bit better after his pillow was nothing but shreds of cloth and feathers. He stared at the moon and decided he'd go see Kagura tomorrow.

He'd be the one to visit her this time, and maybe, he wouldn't just ask her for advice on how to get over Tohru.

---

"Tohru?"

"Hmm?"

"Tohru…Tohru… I…uh… I- Iloveyou!" he said in a single breath.

He looked at her shocked face, then back down at his lap, wishing she had actually heard him, but his confession had been covered by the wail of the plastic baby. Yuki sighed and glared at the baby on the bed beside Tohru. Tohru blinked a couple of times before gasping and pulling out of his embrace with a blush. She picked up the baby with one hand, and grabbed the key, which would stop the crying, off of her nightstand.

Yuki sat there, still scowling at the plastic doll which was silent now. His hatred towards the baby for waking him up at night was nothing compared to the resentment he felt now. It had hours before now to start to cry and hours after, so why did it have to start screeching when he had finally gathered enough courage to tell Tohru of his feelings? And if that wasn't enough, the baby made Tohru leave his arms.

It was official. As soon as the project was done with, he was going to track this stupid baby down and smash it until it no longer resembled a baby. He had to grit his teeth together to keep from doing that now. Tohru looked at him worriedly. As if she knew what he was plotting, she held the doll closer to her chest. Yuki let out another sigh. Why did she have to look at him with those saddened eyes? Now he couldn't even bring himself to think about smashing that thing… Why did she even care about it that much? It wasn't even alive, but it was already making him envious.

Yuki stood up, his exhaustion catching up with him now, "Goodnight Tohru…"

"Ah… Goodnight Yuki-kun…. Sleep well… I'm sorry for disturbing you…"

He just smiled back at her, laughing slightly, "You're never a disturbance to me."

---

An hour after Yuki had left her room, Tohru was still awake. School would start in several hours, and she'd have to get up to shower and prepare breakfast in a few hours. She knew she should go to sleep now if she wanted to be fully rested, but she couldn't. After he had left, she was just so cold. Tohru squeezed her pink pillow in her arms and shivered. It didn't help that it was the middle of December. She closed her eyes and pressed her hands together to pray.

"Mom… I think my feelings towards Yuki-kun are more than a crush now… I like him a lot more than a friend should… My heart feels like it'll burst and my head spins like an out-of-control merry-go-round when he's around me. When he hugged me, I didn't know what to do or say. I could hardly even breathe. He probably thinks I'm an idiot, but I think I'm in love with Yuki-kun… What should I do mom? I act like such a fool in front of him… Lend me your strength and confidence mom…I need them. I'm just too shy on my own… I can't tell him about my feelings. I don't want to ruin our friendship. Yuki-kun is one of my best friends, and I'm in love with him… What would you do? I'm scared. I love him… I love him so much…"

_"Just be yourself Tohru…"_

**This was an emotional roller coaster, wasn't it:D Well I hope I didn't leave THAT many errors. I made you all bipolar for a chapter, didn't I?  
**


	18. Week 18

Tohru hummed to herself as she packed up a picnic. She had awoken earlier than usual to cook enough food for five people, seeing as Uo, Hana, Kyo, and Yuki had insisted on going with her to the temple to pay a visit to her mother. This morning went by just like every other. As usual, Kyo walked in wordlessly, plucking one of the rice balls she had made off a plate and shoving it in his mouth before walking to the living room to watch the news, and Yuki stumbled in half asleep, nearly tearing down the paper walls in the process.

"Ah! Good morning Yuki-kun!" Tohru greeted cheerfully.

He lifted his head in her direction, blinking his partially open eyes. Tohru smiled at him and tilted her head to the side. She held out a rice ball to him, offering him some breakfast. He took a few steps over to her as if he were going to take the food, but she soon learned he wasn't conscious enough to even know that she was holding something out for him. Her eyes widened and the rice ball slipped out of her hands as he leaned towards her. She took a step backwards and felt her back hit cold plastic. Tohru peered back at Yuki. He was less than a couple of inches away from her now. His arms shot out to either of her sides, his fingers locking around the sides of the refrigerator as his forehead smacked into the top half of the appliance. Tohru winced. That sounded like it hurt, but he didn't move an inch, not even to rub the bump that was probably forming on his forehead.

"Yuki-kun? Are you okay?!" she squeaked.

He didn't answer her question. She squirmed around, trying to get a response from him, but she was unsuccessful. Tohru frowned. She couldn't move with his arms blocking her exits to the left and right. Tohru swallowed nervously. Her cheeks started flushing, and her heart began to speed up because of his close proximity. She could feel his heart beat against hers and hear his slow breaths and soft snores. He was already asleep again. Tohru clasped her hand over his shoulder, shaking him in attempt to wake him, but she only made his forehead lose its grip on the refrigerator. With a soft plop, his head landed on top of hers, and Tohru yelped. To keep herself from falling over, her arms shot up and wrenched themselves around the first thing they touched, Yuki's neck.

Yuki was jerked out of dreamland as his air supply was suddenly cut off. Tohru gasped when she realized she was strangling him. Trying to unwind her arms, she accidentally moved her foot onto the bits of rice ball on the floor, causing her to lose her balance. As she began to fall backwards, her hands wrung themselves around his neck again, dragging Yuki down with her. Yuki's arms flew out in front of him, catching himself before he crushed her. Tohru's grip around his neck didn't loosen, keeping herself from ever making contact with the floor unintentionally. She was still awaiting the fall until he made a half strangled sound to remind her that he couldn't breathe.

"Oh!"

Tohru's hands instantly released his neck, and her head hit the tiles with a soft thud. Yuki's head lowered as his breathing sped up to give his body back the oxygen it had been deprived of a second ago. Tohru's breathing was almost as quick as his, though for an entirely different reason. Hers was due to the fact that she had just fallen over and because there was a boy hovering over her. Her eyes ran across Yuki once before shutting out of discomfort. She wasn't sure what to do. It'd be rude to demand him to move after choking him, but what if someone caught them like this…?

"What. The. Hell?"

Tohru lifted her head towards the entrance to the kitchen, her face lighting up with a blush. How delightful. Just as she was thinking about how horrible it'd be if someone walked in now, Kyo showed up. Copying Tohru's movements, Yuki turned his head towards the entrance, staring at the orange haired teenager standing there. He rolled his eyes slightly before pushing himself off from over Tohru. He laid himself down on the floor beside her, still trying to catch up on oxygen. Kyo stomped over to Yuki, glowering at the teenager. Yuki simply stared back, unfazed by the malevolent vibe surrounding Kyo.

"What do you think you were doing, you damn rat?!" Kyo snarled.

Yuki sat up and threw Kyo an incredulous look. He stared at Kyo for a moment, giving the cat an expression that let him know how much of an idiot he thought he was at the moment. Just by the disgusted look across Kyo's face, Yuki was positive that he knew what was running through the cat's head. He wasn't sure whether he should be more offended or entertained by Kyo's thought process, not that he could blame him. He was sure if he walked in on Kyo lying over Tohru, he'd think the same thing Kyo was. Carelessly, Yuki shrugged, "What do you think I was doing?"

"Being a pervert like that sick dog!" Kyo snapped.

Yuki laughed at that, "You're the lecher here, stupid."

"I'm not the one molesting Tohru on the kitchen floor!!!" Kyo roared, sticking his finger out towards Yuki accusingly.

Yuki shook his head at Kyo. He partially wanted to laugh at the serious look across Kyo's face and leave without explaining what really was going on, though he really couldn't have explained even if he wanted to. Yuki could vaguely recollect getting out of bed after mutilating his alarm clock, getting dressed, and the next thing he knew he was being suffocated. Hesitantly, he glanced towards Tohru to see if he had done any of the things that were probably spinning around Kyo's head since he never knew what exactly happened when he wandered around half asleep, but what he saw hardly helped. He wasn't sure what to make of the blush across her cheeks though the fact that she could look him in the eye was enough to convince him that the blush was because Kyo had walked in and got the wrong impression.

"Don't listen to him, Tohru. He seems to have misplaced his brain somewhere… Oh wait… I lied. I'm sorry. He never had a brain to begin with," Yuki smiled politely at Tohru, trying to see if his theory was correct after all.

Tohru laughed a little awkwardly. She was just glad to see that no fight had broken out between them, at least not yet. Glancing down, she fiddled with the bottom of her shirt. She doubted he knew, but it was extremely difficult for her to be able to look at him and talk coherently around him. That night, a week ago when he had hugged and comforted her left her a lot more than a little self-conscious. Well for one thing, since that night, she was sure that she was in love with Yuki, and that was more than enough to make her feel uncomfortable whenever she was in the same room as him, but she was also left pondering over the curse.

Sure, he had said she had broken his curse, but she wanted to know how.

Despite depicting everything she knew about the curse over and over again, she was not anywhere closer to figuring out what she wanted to know, and since neither she nor Yuki had told anyone about his curse being removed, she didn't have the option of asking for second opinions either. Tohru hadn't even said one word to him about it either, and he didn't bring it up. She wouldn't be surprised if he really had been trying to talk to her about it for a while though. She was practically avoiding him after all, and when she wasn't doing that, she was zoning out, like she was right now. Speaking of Yuki, she suddenly remembered that Yuki was still talking to her. Her eyes flashed up to his now worried eyes.

"… Are you okay Tohru? You didn't get hurt, right?" Yuki asked her with a concerned look.

"Oh no, no, no! I'm fine!" Tohru responded a little too quickly.

"That's a relief… Do you mind telling me what just happened? Did I do something inappropriate?" Yuki added, suddenly worried about something else.

"Of course not! You were sleeping Yuki-kun! It was my fault! I fell… and I… I u-umm… choked you… on accident of course! I'm sorry!" Tohru replied.

"Don't worry about it. Just as long as you're fine…"

"HEY! I'm talking you to, you stupid rat! LISTEN TO ME!" Kyo shouted furiously.

Yuki turned towards Kyo, raising his eyebrows. Kyo glared at him, shocked to see Yuki actually do what he ordered him to. He was so bewildered that he lost his train of thought, and he was abruptly left trying to shove something coherent together before Yuki came up with something clever to retort, but that wasn't going too well. Yuki continued to sit there as Kyo struggled to regain his thoughts. He remained completely quiet for another minute before speaking again, "What? I thought you were going to say something."

"SHUT UP!!!" Kyo used his last resort response and glowered some more.

"Kyon! You shut up! I can hear you from your front door!" Uo yelled as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Yes… I believe it's called an indoor voice," Hana nodded in agreement.

Tohru's gaze shifted over to her friends for a moment before she jumped off the ground and away from Yuki. No need to give them more things to tease her about. She was pretty sure they already figured out that she loved Yuki. Actually, she was sure they had discovered her feelings before she was even aware she had them. They never stopped bugging her for 'details' about the relationship she didn't have with Yuki, and they probably got that idea from walking in on scenes like the one Kyo had. Why did everyone always have to choose the 'best' scenes to walk in on?

Tohru pushed her lips upwards into a smile as she started towards her two friends, "Uo-chan! Hana-chan!"

"Hey Tohru. Ready to go?" Uo asked.

Tohru glanced back at her half packed picnic sheepishly.

"Almost…." She whispered before darting back to the counter and shoving everything into the wooden basket. Tohru worked quickly, not wanting to make anyone wait because of her, but she was cramming things in a bit too quickly. Half of the food didn't even make into the basket, landing around on the table instead. Yuki watched her for a second longer before he slid his hands underneath her arms and picked her up. He set her back down a foot away from the counter, and he took the bundle of eating utensils out of her hands. Yuki turned back towards the basket and placed everything into the basket quicker, more accurately, and more fluidly than she had.

When he turned around with basket in hand, Tohru reached out for it, but he didn't acknowledge her attempts to take the basket from him. Yuki grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around to face the stairs.

"Go get changed. We'll wait down here," Yuki told her.

Tohru gave him a baffled look.

"Tohru, you're the only one who isn't dressed and ready to go," Uo pointed out.

Tohru glanced down at her pink pajama bottoms with the strawberry pattern and blushed. She finally caved in and rushed upstairs to change into the black dress she had set out yesterday. Pure black, funeral attire that matched Hana's lacey black gown, Uo's black trench coat, Kyo's black t-shirt, and Yuki's black button down shirt. Tohru frowned at the mirror once she was done getting dressed. Usually, she'd frown because she disliked wearing such a dark, dreary color, but today, she was depressed because she could no longer hide the fact that she was pregnant anymore. Though just knowing that she finally had to fully explain to her mom about her situation was nerve wrecking enough.

Tohru sighed and rushed downstairs after Uo called her for the third time, though she wasn't aware that this was Uo's third time calling her. She had been too lost in thoughts to hear the first two. By the time she arrived downstairs, her four friends were already by the door with their shoes laced and waiting. After apologizing numerous times, she hurried to slip on her shoes, but that was a mistake. As she tried to pull on her shoes while standing, she somehow managed to trip over nothing but the shoe she was putting on and fell against Yuki. Luckily, Yuki had managed to shove the picnic basket into Kyo's arms before Tohru landed and sent the food sprawling everywhere.

Yuki caught her in his arms before her head crashed against the floor. Tohru flinched, not out of shock, but out of fear that a small mouse would appear and take Yuki's spot. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the screams of shock from Uo and Hana as they discovered the curse, but after a minute, the screams she had expected hadn't sounded. Tohru opened one eye, partially surprised to see Uo and Hana gazing back at her with calm expressions, almost amused.

Tohru forced the other eye opened and abruptly understood why the glimmer of entertainment lay in Uo's eyes. She was pressing herself tightly against Yuki and clinging to him as his arms were locked around her waist to help her remain upright. Her face instantly brightened as she tore herself off of Yuki. She kept her head down as she stiffly marched out of the house. Rushing, Tohru accidentally ran straight into a tree. As she rubbed her head, she tried to continue on, but the lump on her head left her too dizzy to make it further than a foot before she collapsed.

"Tohru! Are you okay?!"

The four of her friends previously in the house rushed out, helping Tohru back into a sitting position.

"I-I'm oka-okay! B-but we should g-get going!!!" Tohru squeaked, jumping to her feet.

Uo reached up and dragged Tohru back down. Tohru dropped down on her bottom with a bewildered look. She peered back at Uo, confused. Uo shook her head and lifted her hand, gesturing to Tohru's other shoe which lay in Yuki's outstretched hand. Tohru's jaw dropped as she timidly snatched the shoe out of his hand. Her eyes drifted down to her previously white sock which was now caked in dirt and other unidentifiable dark specks. With a short sigh, she quickly shuffled into her shoe and stood up. Tohru didn't look up at any of her friends as she dusted off her dress.

"Why are you in such a rush, Tohru? Don't you want to hug the prince some more?" Uo smirked.

Tohru's head jerked up in Yuki's direction for a brief moment before she turned her face towards her lap once again. Uo's grin enlarged as her eyes left Tohru and flashed over to Yuki. He, like Tohru, had his head turned away from them, but his blush was a tad bit lighter than Tohru's and not as visible. He was still rather calm, on the outside at least, but it was still entertaining for Uo to see an embarrassed prince. Hana was just as amused with this as Uo was, but Kyo was nearly as uncomfortable as Tohru and Yuki were. He abruptly jumped up from his squatting position and headed down the dirt path.

"If you guys wanna sit there all day, be my guest, but I'm leaving," Kyo said as he sauntered away.

"Ah! Wait for me, Kyo-kun!"

Tohru spun around instantly and followed after Kyo, eager to leave the humiliating scene behind. Uo and Hana sighed as they chased after the two, tacitly deciding that they'd drop the teasing for a while. Being the responsible one, Yuki was the last to leave. He locked the door before he started after the group since he highly doubted that Shigure was even awake yet. Nobody seemed to have had noticed his disappearance he noted when he caught back up with them. He could hear bits and pieces of the conversation flowing between Tohru, Uo, and Hana, but he was too busy concentrating on something else to be able to make sense of their words.

His eyes were glued on Tohru's left hand which was caged within Kyo's larger, tan one.

Yuki glowered at the contact, jealously flaring within him. When had Kyo suddenly become friends with Tohru again? He hated to admit it, but he had enjoyed the past weeks with Kyo avoiding Tohru and him. He had liked how Kyo wouldn't come within a ten foot radius of Tohru, and the worst part was that he had gotten used to it. Yuki gritted his teeth together, and his hands curled into fists. He could hardly repress his urge to punch Kyo, and he barely managed to keep his cool. The only thing that was restraining him was the fact that Tohru would be extremely upset if Kyo got hurt, and he didn't want to cause her more fret.

Maybe he would have been less upset if he noticed that her other hand was clutched in Hana's, but he couldn't see anything but Kyo holding her hand. He eventually looked away, discovering that it hurt too much to continue looking and waiting for the bond to break. Still, it didn't lessen the pain to stare at the ground instead. He still knew what they were doing, but he'd rather not go back to analyzing their every move. Yuki had been so busy trying to keep his thoughts off of Tohru and Kyo that he didn't even realize that they had arrived at the cemetery until he bumped into Tohru's back.

She almost fell over and hit her head against her mother's tomb, but his hand grasped her shoulder in time and pulled her back into safety. Tohru peered back at him blankly.

"I'm sorry Tohru… I should have watched where I was going…" Yuki lowered his head in apology.

"Oh no! I shouldn't have been kneeling here!" Tohru squeaked.

Tohru inched over to her left, getting out of Yuki's path before going back to washing the gravestone. Yuki grimaced when he spotted who Tohru had moved closer to. He was pretty sure that she was unaware that she had taken three steps closer to Kyo, but he knew. Great. Now he felt like a stalker. Yuki took a deep breath and sat down beside Tohru, coming to the conclusion that he was just acting paranoid. He distracted himself by helping her with the preparations. Yuki lit the incense and a couple of candles for her, setting them around the tomb. He helped her lay out the picnic and started eating breakfast with the rest of them without tasting anything he placed in his mouth. He wasn't even aware that it had started raining until Tohru let out a cry.

Of course, he was always aware of everything she did.

"Oh no! It's raining… Mom must be mad at me…" Tohru trailed off as she turned her face up towards the sky.

"Why would you think that, Tohru?" Hana asked.

Tohru lowered her face and frowned sadly. She eyed the gravestone with a forlorn expression. Her mother had never been angry at her before. Never. Not even once, but by the looks of it, her mother was furious at her now. She didn't know how to handle this situation. How was she supposed to get a deceased person to forgive her? She started wishing she had kept her thoughts to herself as she noticed the strange faces her friends were making –except for Hana; her expression was blank, as usual. The rest of them obviously thought she was crazy though.

"Because mom doesn't want me to stay here any longer now that she knows I'm pregnant… She made it rain so I would go home…" Tohru explained in a hushed voice.

"Tohru, I'm sure your mom isn't mad at you… The weather man said it might rain today, remember?" Yuki pointed out as he pulled out an umbrella he had brought with him. Yuki pushed the corner of his mouth upwards, half smiling in attempt to raise her mood up a notch or two, but her eyes only flickered up to the umbrella. She had averted his eyes completely. It hurt to know that she'd rather bite her lip and study the pattern on her dress more than meet his eyes and respond to his words. Did he really mean absolutely nothing to her now that Kyo was friends with her again?

Tohru moved her gaze down to her shoes, still convinced that her mom was mad at her. Hana patted Tohru's back, "Don't worry Tohru… Your mom's waves are very happy, although they are very faint…"

Tohru smiled a bit, "Really?"

The dark haired female nodded, and Tohru's face brightened with a true smile that was quickly interrupted by Kyo's impatience.

"Argh! COME ON! I hate the rain!" Kyo shouted as he darted from the temple, wanting to get home before his strength vanished.

Tohru flinched and hurriedly started shoving everything back into the wooden basket. Yuki opened the umbrella and held it over her head to keep the rain off of her as she worked. She scurried around, quickly gathering everything and shutting the basket. She hopped to her feet and quickly said goodbye to her mother before scurrying away with Yuki, Uo, and Hana. It was hard to squeeze four people under one umbrella. Everyone was partially wet except for Tohru since Yuki made sure she was in the middle.

"Prince Charming! Why didn't you bring more umbrellas?" Uo demanded.

"It was sunny when we left, so I didn't think we'd need them," Yuki replied.

Ironically enough, as soon as they collapsed inside the house, the rain drizzled to an end. Kyo cursed from his laying position on the couch. He was too weak to do much of anything else but continue to lay there until his energy was restored. Tohru didn't even have the chance to offer to get her friends some towels to dry off with nor did Uo even get an opportunity to tease Kyo about his deranged appearance before Shigure ran into the room frantically holding a crying plastic baby in his hands.

"Tohruuuuuuuuuuu-kun! Stop the crying! It's been crying since you left!!!" Shigure wailed thrusting the doll at Tohru.

Tohru gaped and shoved her hand into her pocket, fishing out the key she always kept with her. She took the baby from Shigure, slid the key into its slot, and the crying faded away. Tears of happiness started streaming down Shigure's face. He mumbled something about finally being able to hear before he tried to leap on Tohru, but Yuki grabbed him by the collar of his kimono and yanked him back before he bruised Tohru. Shigure dangled in the air for a minute before Yuki dropped him.

"What do you think you were doing?" Yuki asked slowly.

"Expressing my love and gratitude to Tohru of course! Don't be so possessive Yuki-kun!" Shigure whined.

"Please… Do us all a favor, and keep your _expressions of love and gratitude _to yourself… So please go do something productive or something preferably out of my sight," Yuki requested, venom sliding out with each word.

"Fine! I'll call Akito to come over for a visit!" Shigure sang as he skipped away.

From just hearing that one phrase, Kyo leapt up from the couch and raced after Shigure with Yuki. A few crashes, screams, cries, and whimpers later, Yuki and Kyo returned. Kyo was dragging Shigure by his ear, and Yuki held what was left of the phone in his hands –it had gotten destroyed as they tried to wrestle it from Shigure. Shigure didn't dare to bother them anymore for the rest of that day, and without him around, the house was strangely quiet after Uo and Hana left, not that anyone was complaining about that.

The day quickly came to a close with bed time just around the corner. Yuki had already retreated to his room as Tohru did some last minute cleaning. Tohru muttered to herself to keep herself company as she scampered around the kitchen, putting away some dishes and eating utensils before she went to bed, completely ignorant of the eyes glued on her. Kyo stood there by the door way with his arms crossed. He had been there for about ten minutes, just watching her. After a few visits with Kagura, he had finally decided he'd tell her about his feelings but not before he apologized to her.

"Hey Tohru…"

"Kyo-kun?" Tohru spun around after shutting the last cabinet. She scampered over to him with a bright smile.

"I… I uh… I just wanted to tell you something…" Kyo stammered.

"What is it Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked. She cocked her head to the side innocently as she awaited a response from her friend –at least she considered him her friend, she still wasn't sure how he felt about her though he had been treating her a lot more nicely lately. Kyo's face darkened. His eyes slid shut as he drew in a deep breath. He had to do this. He had to say this before it consumed him.

"Tohru… First off… I have to say that… I have to say that I-I'm sorry… And I don't care about the pregnancy anymore… I shouldn't have yelled at you and made you cry… And… A-and… I think… I think I- I love you…" Kyo stuttered in a voice that was only a bit louder than a whisper.

Tohru froze in place as her eyes doubled in size. Her mouth dropped open with shock. That was the last thing she had expected to hear from him. The only thing she could manage to do for five minutes was stare at the teenager before her. He kept his eyes closed, awaiting a sound of disgust, a sigh, an apology, something, but he didn't expect her to press her lips against his lower cheek. His eyes snapped open out of surprise. For a split second, his heart fluttered with belief that she loved him too, something he had refrained from believing since he learned of her pregnancy, but when his eyes settled on her downcast ones and the frown across her face, he knew that wasn't the case, and even though he had been preparing for this for a week, the feeling of his heart tearing into two still overwhelmed him.

"… I'm sorry Kyo-kun…" she whispered.

He chuckled a broken laugh. He had been expecting those words. He knew that would be what he heard if he confessed to her. So why did it still hurt this much?

"You love the rat…" It wasn't a question, but a statement, a fact that he was one hundred percent sure of now.

Tohru didn't respond. No matter how badly she wanted to, she couldn't deny that so she just apologized again. He shocked himself more than her when his hand reached forward and patted her on the head. She glanced up at him slowly, and he flashed her a weak smile.

"You can't help who you love…" he muttered.

He mimicked her previous actions and kissed her on the cheek before withdrawing and running up to his room. Tohru covered her mouth, holding back her sobs. She stumbled up the stairs before her tears blinded her. She walked into the room of the only Sohma she was sure she could hug's room. Behind the glossy tears, her eyes could hardly make out his figure hunched over his desk. She didn't want to bother him, but her body kept moving despite her protests. She walked over to him and dropped into his awaiting arms and clung to him, pressing her face against his chest.

"I-I hu-hurt him…" she choked out.

Yuki didn't say anything back. He could only guess who she was talking about, but he was pretty sure she referring to Kyo by 'him'. Stupid bipolar cat. How could he act so friendly towards her this morning and make her cry now? He would have slaughtered the cat and made cat stew if he wasn't currently comforting a certain brunette. Yuki kept his thoughts to himself, simply letting her cry, and she let him stroke her back and comfort her until her exhaustion drew her into a state of deep sleep.

Yuki glanced down at the sleeping girl sitting on his lap. He brushed her hair out of her face and leaned down to press his lips on the corner of her eye, catching a tear that had previously been trapped there.

"I love you, Tohru…"

He had a glorious knack for confessing when she couldn't hear him, and he hated that, but he didn't have enough courage to say it to her when she was conscious. Yuki held her for several more minutes before he carefully picked her up and returned her to her bed. He stared at her restless figure for a moment then bent over, leaving a kiss on her cheek, and after that, she settled down, sleeping peacefully with pleasant dreams.

**Ew. This chapter was yucky, pointless, and rushed. ** **I'd give this chapter a 3/10. Bleh. An update after a month and you get junk like this... Sorry. Hopefully, the next chapter will be more exciting and have a less depressing ending. Again, I apologize. **


	19. Week 19

Scattered across the table were over a hundred letters, packets, envelopes, magazines, and other assortments all addressed to Tohru. Half of them were open, the others still unread and stacked into a tall neat pile. Tohru was struggling not to start bawling as she set her fortieth hate letter down, adding it to the tower of mail from members of the Yuki fan club. She pushed her mouth upwards into a pitiful smile and reached forward for another letter, but a pale hand enclosed her wrist and stopped her before she could make contact with the white envelopes.

"Would you please stop reading these, Tohru?"

Tohru gazed up at Yuki for a brief moment before looking away and shaking her head slowly. She tugged her arm out of his and grabbed another envelope. She didn't meet his eyes. He probably could have kept her from getting a letter if he really wanted to. It wasn't a secret that he was about a hundred times stronger than she was. He was just humoring her. Keeping her eyes on her mail, she slid her finger under the sealed flap. She focused on peeling open the letter so she wouldn't give herself another paper cut. Her hands were already covered with band aids, showing her envelope opening skills off to the world. Her hands shook as she struggled to make an opening in the stupid package that was keeping her letter away from her.

"Please?" he whispered in a soft voice.

She didn't reply. She didn't like upsetting him or disobeying him, but this was her mail, and she wanted to read it. She could understand why he didn't want her to read it and why he hadn't given these to her until Shigure had told her about them, and she had gone to request them from him. The letters were full of vile words, curses, and bad wishes, but they were still hers, and even though she was practically crying because of them, she had a burning desire to continue reading. Not even Tohru understood the urge.

With him watching her over her shoulder, it was getting harder to concentrate on the task before her. It wasn't long until the sharp edges of the envelope flap slit open the middle of her finger. Tohru gasped and dropped the letter. A second hadn't even passed before his fingers wound themselves around her arm. He didn't make a comment as he led her to the bathroom. Yuki gently pushed her hand under the faucet and washed her cut for her. He went as far as dabbing the minor cut with alcohol. She didn't complain. This was the tenth time he had done this for her today. He finished the process by neatly placing a childish band aid over the wound.

Tohru smiled at the pink bandage with small red strawberries all over. She spread her fingers apart and her smile grew. There was a bandage on each one of her fingers, each with a different fruit print. Yuki wrapped his hands around hers again and shook his head with a faint smile, "I've never actually seen someone smile when they got hurt."

Tohru looked away bashfully. Yuki smiled briefly before clasping both of his hands around hers together in a tight bundle. He held their hands in front of her chest. Yuki shook them back in forth as if he was begging her to do something, except he was making her beg along with him.

"Please, please, please. Let's toss out those letters, okay? Please?" he pleaded.

Tohru opened her mouth to protest, but as soon as she saw the look he was giving her, her will to do anything that didn't coincide with his wishes just disappeared. How could she argue with this incarnation of a grieving angel? The answer was simple. She couldn't. The perfect creases etched into his forehead, the impeccable downward curve of his smooth lips, and the flawless agony displayed in his grey eyes made thinking near impossible, not to mention rejecting his suggestions.

"Umm… O-okay…" she caved in without fully understanding what she was agreeing to.

A grin quickly broke out across Yuki's face as he dragged Tohru back to her room, more than ready to get rid of the letters. If he were a more _expressive_person, like Momiji, he probably would be jumping up and down right now. It had been killing him to know that _his _purely sweet and innocent Tohru was reading such atrocious things. It had bothered him enough to make him check on her about every five minutes to see if anything she had read had made her cry. Needless to say, if something anyone had written caused her to shed a single tear, that person would not be around tomorrow. Luckily for everyone who had sent Tohru one of those hate letters, nothing had made her release the tears she had been holding in yet.

He had been pretty sneaky about his checks on her. Most of the time, she wasn't aware that he had even slipped into her room or peeked in through her door. He only let her become aware of his presence whenever she cut her fingers, and even though she had hurt herself a total of ten times, that wasn't even close to being half the times he had come to check on her. Yuki had basically been doing nothing but obsessing over Tohru reading those letters ever since she had asked for them about two hours ago. When he wasn't hovering around her, he was pretty much pacing around in the hallway, trying to think of ways to convince her to stop reading them. It wasn't very hard to see why it was such a relief to him to finally hear her agree after listening to her decline his requests over and over again.

Tohru watched him, keeping at the doorway when they arrived at her bedroom. She still wanted to read the rest of the letters, but she couldn't bring herself to stop him and make that gorgeous smile of his fade, especially considering how much he's done to help her, so she reluctantly stood there and watched him gather all the letters in one tall stack in his long arms. He walked out of the room with them –doubting her ability to restrain herself from reading them if he tossed them in her trash?- and walked down the stairs.

A single letter fluttered out of the pile, going by unnoticed by his usually observant eyes that missed nothing and landed on the top of the stairs. Tohru leaned over to grab the letter, but a tan hand snatched it before her. She glanced up at Kyo who had the letter in front of his nose.

Oops.

Kyo was the last person she wanted to find one of these letters. His eyes darted back and forth across the sheet of paper, skimming the words before him. Tohru grimaced and took a step back, not liking the way Kyo's face was starting to contort with anger. His hand abruptly shut into a fist, making her jump up a foot as he crumpled the letter. His eyes flashed over to hers.

Uh-oh.

Just as she had suspected, he was angry. Terribly furious.

Was he mad at her or at the person who wrote that letter? Usually, it would have been obvious to her that he was angry at the letter, not at her, but after he had confessed to her, she had found it harder to read his reactions, almost as if he had put up a wall around himself, and she couldn't penetrate through it, no matter how hard she tried. This was actually the first time he had looked her in the eye since the confession, or he would have been looking her in the eye if she hadn't turned her face down. She couldn't meet his gaze. It was still a little awkward between him and her even though a week had passed since he had told her that he loved her.

Maybe it was only awkward in her perspective. He seemed perfectly at ease –except for now- when he was around her, even encouraging her to tell Yuki how she felt once in a while, but she never listened to his advice. There was no way she could tell Yuki she loved him. Nope. She would freak him out, and then, she'd lose one of her best friends. Besides, she wasn't one who enjoyed pain, both mental and physical. She didn't need to be at the top of her class to see the miles that separated her and Yuki. A blind person could see that compared to Yuki's mountain of positive attributes, her pile was a mere anthill.

But, maybe if she was a bit more observant, she would surely realize that given the option between her and the most perfect girl in the world, he would not hesitate in choosing her.

Being reminded of his presence by the consistent crinkling of the letter in his fist, Tohru's large brown orbs hesitantly snuck a peek at Kyo's face before shooting back down to her feet. Despite the short amount of time her eyes had lingered on him, he was swifter than her, and he noticed her look. He waved the ball of a letter around, knowing she could see it in her peripheral vision. Tohru chewed the bottom of her lip, anticipating the words she knew he'd say.

"What the hell is this?" he asked.

Still not meeting his eyes, Tohru responded in a rushed voice, "That's my letter…"

"No shit. I knew that, but what the hell is the damn rat doing with it?"

"Um… Y-Yuki-kun didn't want me to read them anymore, so he's throwing them away…"

"Why the hell not? It's his fault you even get crap like this!" Kyo snapped.

Tohru winced a bit, not by Kyo's profanities, but by the flash of pain that shot across Yuki's face. He was standing behind Kyo on the stairs, empty handed. Yuki watched her peer at him for a minute, scrutinizing her face for hints to how she felt at the moment before deciding to approach her. He shoved Kyo aside so he could get up the stairs, but Kyo yanked him back over by the back of his shirt. Kyo glared at Yuki and shook the crumpled letter before his face with a disgusted look. Yuki raised his eyebrows, slightly irked at Kyo for stopping him before he got to speak with Tohru.

"Have you read any of these?!" Kyo demanded angrily.

"Yes, actually, I have," Yuki replied calmly.

"And that's all you have to say? It's your fault she gets this shit, you know that, right?!" Kyo yelled.

That wasn't true. Tohru opened her mouth to speak, to deny the claims Kyo was making. She'd never blame Yuki for these letters. All he had ever done was help her more times than she could count. He was her savior, the reason she was passing school, the reason that she was able to survive this pregnancy. He was the cause of her happiness. He was basically why she was still smiling and laughing despite the numerous pains and troubles of her pregnancy. But, before she could point out any of these, Yuki broke out of Kyo's hold and was making his way over to her with an apologetic look across his face that all but broke her heart.

"I know… and Tohru, I'm sorry about that… I had no idea they would react like this… Believe me… If I did, I wouldn't have said a thing to them… I'm sorry…"

Tohru covered her mouth and shook her head furiously, "No! That's not true! I don't blame you! It's not your fault at all! Really!"

"No, he's right. Tohru, it is my fault. You have every right to be mad at me…"

"But I'm not mad at you! Yuki, really! That's the truth!" Tohru squealed in a frantic voice.

Tohru hurled herself at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. She wept bitterly, praying that he'd stop thinking those letters were his fault. It wasn't, and she'd never blame him, regardless of what Kyo believed. She wasn't sure what Kyo had been doing the past couple of minutes, but when she opened her eyes, she could no longer see him there through the tears that clung to her eyelashes. But Kyo wasn't the one she was worried about at the moment. She was fretting over the teenager trapped in her arms. Tohru tightened her arms around Yuki. She couldn't see his facial expression, but by how tense his body was, she didn't think he really believed her words.

His arms slowly slipped around her back but not without hesitation. He gingerly patted her back and rested his cheek on her shoulder. She could feel his warm breath tickle her skin as he spoke.

"You're too forgiving."

With that, his lips made the briefest contact with the nape of her neck. It had been so quick that she wasn't entirely sure that it had even happened, and he was gone before her wide open mouth shut. Tohru blinked, her hand flying to the spot where his lips had been a minute ago. The only proof she had that the kiss had even been made was the flaming patch of skin on the side of her neck. For a few minutes, she could barely breathe properly. She sank on the ground, taking in and releasing short breaths that hardly provided an adequate amount of oxygen considering how quickly her heart was beating.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, but not long enough for either Yuki or Kyo to walk out of their rooms. She stayed there until she started feeling a pang of pain at her side. At first, she had brushed it off as shock from a kiss she wasn't sure she had really received, but they didn't stop, and they were beginning to hurt. She clutched her midriff, and this time, she could vaguely feel the form of a foot hit her hand through her stomach. Tohru winced and gripped her abdomen tighter, hoping her daughter would stop kicking her soon, but she didn't. The kicks continued, one after another until she was almost crying and sure she was getting a bruise. Maybe if she had been less lightheaded and dizzy, she would have realized that the baby had only kicked a few times, but it was a lot more at once than she was used to.

When the baby had settled down and stopped moving around inside of her, Tohru stood up shakily and stumbled into the bathroom to puke. It had been a while since she had felt the symptoms of morning sickness -which ironically, didn't just occur in the morning. She didn't feel much better when she was done. Her mouth tasted foul even after rinsing it with water several times, not to mention she was left a bit woozy. She slid down against the sink and sat there, resting her head between her knees, and there, she began to cry.

It wasn't long before Yuki kneeled down before her and wrapped his arms around her. She could never figure out how he always knew when she was crying or whenever she got hurt, and even now, she had been muffling her cries rather well, yet, he came to her aid with ease, not even a full minute after the first tear had rolled down her cheek. He crushed her tiny body against his, making her feel very much like a small child, though he didn't say anything until she relaxed a bit.

"What's the matter, Tohru?"

He backed up slightly to get a look at her and cradled her face between his hands. The tips of his fingers fluttered along her cheeks, catching her tears as he checked to see if she had bumped her head. Seeing as she didn't flinch out of pain, his eyes scanned the rest of her body for traces of an injury, but the only thing remotely close to a source of pain was her stomach. Her arms were locked tightly around her abdomen. He cocked his head to the side and reached forward, brushing his fingers across one of her arms. She jumped, though he wasn't sure whether it was out of surprise or actual pain. Regardless, he wrapped his arms around her again as tears ebbed out once more.

"I… I don't w-want to be pregnant anymore… I'm sick of it… I'm t-tired of not being able to wear any of my old clothes… I-I can't take the looks everyone gives me at school anymore… They look at me like I'm a fr-freak. And my back hurts all the time… My hips ache. And so do my ribs… a-and I get cramps in my legs… I k-know… I'm a horrible person… I want this baby, b-but I don't want to be pregnant anymore!" she hadn't meant to cry all that into his shirt, but as soon as the first sentence slipped out, the rest followed as if they were attached together.

Yuki was caught off guard and left speechless at her words. Tohru was never the type of person who complained about anything. Heck, when she was sleeping in a tent out in the cold, she still smiled constantly and never once even mentioned how difficult it was for her. Of course, he could tell she was suffering through the pregnancy. He noticed every time she flinched because the baby kicked too hard, he was aware of how much she was hurting, yet he was able to convince himself that she wasn't suffering that badly because of how she was able to keep cheerful, but now he heard the agony drift out of her mouth, he couldn't pretend anymore. He held her tighter.

"I know I'm t-terrible… I k-know… B-but…"

"Shh… It's all right… I understand…There are only two things I'm sure will never change. The first is that you're not a horrible person, and you never will be… You're a beautiful, lovely, sweet girl…" he breathed into her ear.

"No, I'm not-"

"You are," he said firmly.

Her cheeks were flaring red. She shook her head to the side, but she didn't deny his words vocally. At this point, speaking coherently was all but impossible. He released her, placing his hands on either side of her head. Ever so carefully and gently, his forehead settled against hers. Tohru shut her eyes, deciding it'd be easier to fight off a blush if she wasn't staring at his flawless face which was just over an inch away from her own. She lowered her chin until it touched the top of her chest, but that didn't change the fact that she could still feel his warm breath against her nose.

"You don't complain enough… That's why you're so upset now… Well that and because I'm guessing it isn't exactly fun to have a child thrashing around inside of you… I want you to complain, starting now. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to help you with much, but I'll listen… And I promise I won't think any less of you if you tell me you hate the baby right now…" he whispered.

He watched her eyes slide open, glossed over with uncertainty before adding, "I can guarantee you'll feel better…"

She shook her head, "No… It's not that… I'm done complaining… I already told you everything…"

"Really? I don't believe you… But, if you say so…"

She laughed slightly. Tohru let her lips curve up into a true smile as she broke out of his embrace. Running her face across the back of her arm, she cleared her face of the tears. He brushed the back of his hand across her jaw line, catching a tear she hadn't noticed. Yuki stared at glistening bubble of water on his hand, seemingly interested for a moment before wiping it off and facing her again as if he could sense that she had a question on her mind to ask him. Her cheeks flushed a light pink as she turned her head down, now fiddling with the edge of her shirt.

"Um… What's the second?"

"What?"

His confused expression baffled her. He was the one who mentioned being positive about two things in life, and now, he was looking at her like she was the crazy one? Tohru drew in a breath slowly, not all too eager to try and explain her question. She wasn't quite fond of sounding like a lunatic.

"The second thing you're sure will never change…" she trailed off bashfully.

His eyes widened ever so slightly with comprehension. At least she knew she wasn't crazy and hearing things now. He looked away from her, his cheeks cultivating a faint blush. Whoops. Maybe he should have just said there was one thing he was sure wouldn't change. No need to dance with rejection, no matter how tempting a confession was at the moment. He tossed his head back and raked his slender fingers through his silver strands with a sigh. Why did she have to remember everything he told her? Scratch that. She remembered all the things he didn't want her to and disregarded all the things he wanted her to store in her memory, like how quickly she was able to brush aside his claims of how lovely he thought she was.

_"The second is that I won't stop loving you regardless…" _

It was a mystery to him why he could gather enough courage to kiss her on the neck but not enough to confess, but then again, that kiss had been a spur of the moment action. It had happened before he knew what he was doing, and he had fled before she could react. Yuki made little effort to conceal the fact that he wasn't going to answer her question. Nor did he try to keep her from seeing that he was blatantly changing the topic. He got onto his feet and stared down at her.

"Come with me."

He tugged her up by one of her hands and dragged her after him. Tohru was too bewildered to ask where they were going or to resist until he had already brought her down the stairs and out the door. She tugged back on his hand, making him aware of her utter confusion and exhaustion. He stopped before his foot touched the ground and let go of her hand, letting her stop to rest. Tohru stumbled backwards a bit, leaning against the door. She had never remembered getting this tired so easily. All her life, she hadn't been the greatest athlete, but even so, a run down across the house never wore her down before. Well, back then she didn't dart around in the middle of the night when she was half asleep, and back then, she wasn't carrying a baby inside of her.

"W-Where are you taking me?" she stuttered.

"You don't trust me Tohru?" he lifted his eyebrows at her, "The roof. Where else?"

Tohru stared blankly back at him, not grasping what he was trying to say. If this was Kyo who was bringing her to the roof, she wouldn't be so confused. Kyo was usually laying on the roof whenever he wasn't inside of the house or out training, but Yuki tended to avoid places where Kyo went, including the roof. Why he wanted to go up there with her now was beyond perplexing. The expression she was making had to be the incarnate of confusion because when he glanced at her, he returned her bewildered face as if he found it odd that she was baffled.

"Don't tell me you forgot what today is…" he didn't finish the question.

She continued to give him the same puzzled look.

"It's New Years Eve."

Her mouth formed a small circle of understanding. He smiled and shook his head slightly in disbelief. Yuki took a step back towards her and held out her winter coat, not wanting her to get sick. She took it from him and let him help her into it. Once he was done zipping her coat up to her chin, wrapping a scarf around her neck, and plopping a hat on her head, he retook her hand and led her to the ladder to the roof. He let her climb up first, helping her keep her balance by keeping one hand on her back. Yuki was more than patient as she slowly made her way upwards. She paused on the last step.

"Kyo-kun? What are you doing up here?" Tohru asked in a stunned voice.

He glanced at her and rolled his eyes, "This is the place _I_ like to stay. Besides, I'm watching the first sunrise too, stupid."

"Oh."

Tohru scrambled the rest of the way up the steps and sat herself down beside Kyo. Yuki took a seat next to Tohru, glaring at Kyo. He would have punched Kyo a couple of times for calling Tohru stupid, but the look on her face kept him from doing so. He knew that smile would get swallowed up if he started fighting with Kyo, and he never ever wanted her to stop beaming. Tohru gave him a happy smile when he unclenched his fist, and she scooted a bit closer to him, satisfied with his placid reaction.

Tohru stared at the sun peeking at them from behind a hill. When had the night drifted away? She couldn't have been that slow of a reader. She had gotten her letters at around ten… Where did the time go? She shrugged and shut her eyes and folded her hands together to make her wish.

_I hope the baby is born without any problems… And that Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun will be happy this year…Especially Yuki, even if that means he'll be spending less time with me… _

She opened her eyes only to find Yuki watching her. Tohru turned her face towards the horizon embarrassedly, pretending not to have seen his gaze, but she could pretend she couldn't feel his eyes on her or his hand covering hers. She shut her eyes again, simply enjoying the cool air, and the warmth radiating off of his body. Her mouth widened with a yawn, and with that simple intake of air, the little energy she had seemed to vanish. Tohru leaned towards her right slightly until she felt her head make contact with Yuki's shoulder. She didn't mean to fall asleep against him, actually she hadn't meant to get dragged off into dreamland at all or to even use him as a pillow, but she did anyways.

She couldn't be quite sure at this point because she was already half asleep, but she would have sworn Yuki was whispering. He was murmuring so softly that she had barely caught what he said, not that she could make sense of his words.

_"Maybe, this year I'll tell her…"_

Tohru didn't even think those words were directed at her, and before she could hear more to find out, sleep had made her lose all conscious, but she did manage to feel her head slip off the edge of his shoulder and land on his lap…

**And I leave you with the funkiest most out of place ending ever. Sorry xD Sorry for the late update as well, but I have my excuses! Homework of course, and the other million of ideas spinning in my head that scream to be written, not to mention I wanna color a Edward and Bella drawing I have D: And, I accidentally started the wrong chapter. You see, I calculated it precisely in the story to be New Years when Tohru is 19 weeks pregnant, so this one HAD to go here. End babbling. Review + correct my mistakes please.**


	20. Week 20

More bored than he thought possible, Yuki was staring out the window. Twirling around his pencil between his forefinger and thumb, he was tempted to chuck the writing utensil at Kyo who was currently sleeping. Deciding to let the cat rest, he sighed and rested his cheek on the palm of his hand as he went back to doodling inside his notebook –where he was supposedly taking down detailed notes about the lecture. His fingers dragged the pencil across the paper, leaving aimless scribbles and lines, not exactly a masterpiece of any kind, but it kept the boredom from suffocating him.

His eyes flickered up at the sound of the classroom door sliding open. As soon as his eyes settled on the mop of white hair by the door, his pencil slid out of his fingers and landed on top of his scribbles with a thud. His jaw slid open halfway, and he raised his eyebrows incredulously. As Haru's blank brown eyes met his, Yuki shook his head. With that one look, Haru had just confirmed Yuki's assumptions. The ox had gotten lost on a venture to the bathroom, and by the looks of it, he had been searching for quite a while.

Regardless of his personal needs at the moment, Haru's eyes lit up with excitement. He strolled over to Yuki, despite the teacher's protests and shouting. Haru stopped before Yuki's desk and opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped as soon as he spotted Yuki's notebook. Haru slid the notebook out from under Yuki's elbows, took one look at the unidentifiable pictures, and let out a chuckle. He pointed at the graphite covered page with a grin, "Nice notes. They'll come in handy when you're studying."

Yuki rolled his eyes and snatched the notebook back before Mayu spotted the wordless 'notes' he had and gave him another detention. He already had to stay after school most school days because of his student council meetings, and he didn't need another reason to have to remain in this building past school hours. He had better and more important things to do at home like help Tohru. She tended to work too hard for a pregnant woman, only taking a break if he insisted she did. He looked over at the girl who he was currently thinking about, finding her peering back at him with a curious expression. He could tell she was wondering why Haru was here by her periodic glances at the ox. Yuki gave her a slight shrug in response to her thoughts before deciding to get the answer to her unspoken question.

"What do you want, Haru? I'm not showing you the way to the bathroom again. I've already shown you twice and drawn you a map," Yuki stated firmly.

"Yuki, should I remind you that you kinda suck at drawing?" Haru tilted his head to the side innocently as he gestured to Yuki's notebook.

Yuki ignored Haru's comment, but he did lean forward in his seat a bit to cover his 'notes' from the views of his fellow classmates. Maybe they'd stop asking him if they could borrow his notes now. He hadn't been lying to them when he told them he was a bad note taker –not a single one of his notebooks had a single piece of information relevant to school written inside. He hardly even managed to listen to the lectures. What made them think he had the patience to write important points down?

"_What do you want?_ I'm sure your teacher thinks you've been kidnapped by now."

"Oh… She's used to it by now… I came here to tell you that as I was leaving the main house, I saw your mother," Haru started uneasily.

"Your point?" Yuki sighed. He hardly wanted to hear something about his mother. Whether Haru had seen her or not couldn't have mattered less to him. Haru lived at the main house and so did Yuki's mother. It hardly shocked him to hear that Haru had seen her on his way to school.

"Well, apparently, she heard about Tohru, and she's paying you a visit," Haru paused, "Did you know her face turns red when she's angry?"

Comprehension struck Yuki with full force. His mouth slid open as horror seeped into his body. Maybe he wouldn't have been so terrified if it was just him who was going to see his mother, but now that Tohru lived at Shigure's house as well, there wasn't any good excuse he could come up with to keep Tohru from going home, and home was the last place he wanted Tohru as long as his mother would be there. His mother wasn't a nice person, and if she found out that Tohru was pregnant with his child, that ounce of kindness she possessed would disappear entirely, and she'd be as lethal as cyanide if not more destructive. He could already imagine what his mother would say when she met Tohru, and it wouldn't be remotely friendly.

Why must god torment him so? Was his inability to confess to Tohru not enough of a nuisance for him?

"…Shit… Crap… Shit… I forgot all about her… Crap…"

"Yuki, stop spewing profanities out of your mouth. You're scaring the children."

Mayu glowered at her top student who wasn't even listening to her and was currently acting more like Kyo than himself. She was more shocked to hear her model student swear than angry like every other occupant of the room, but she couldn't let swearing in her classroom go unpunished. Not a single soul heard her words though. Uo, Hana, and the rest of their classmates were turned around in their seats watching the exchange between Haru and Yuki with bemused expressions, obviously finding it to their interests. Anything was more interesting than a lecture about electron configurations.

"I'm going to die… This is bad… You're not kidding, are you? Because if this is a joke, I'm going to rip your head off," Yuki warned.

"Why would I kid about that?" Haru asked, feigning hurt.

"Shit…"

Yuki dropped his head onto his desk, losing all hope for seeing the next sunrise. If he was lucky he might live to see the sun set, and if he was very lucky, Tohru might come out unscathed. He knew better than anyone how his mother was when she was angry even if he didn't see her very often. Actually, he couldn't remember a time in his life that he had seen her when she was happy. She was always yelling and striking him verbally and physically. You only needed to do so much to a young child to scar him for life, and his mother had done more than that. She had done enough vicious things to him to make herself the star of his nightmares.

"Sohma! Shut your mouth this moment unless you want another detention! Other Sohma, back to your own classroom!" Mayu ordered, annoyed now.

"I'll take the detention. I'll stay after today," Yuki suggested, desperate for any way to keep himself from having to confront his mother.

Mayu made a face and shook her head. Who wanted to assign a detention to someone who was willing to come?

"Aww… Yuki, your mom's not that bad," Haru tried to reason with him.

"Says you. Your mom didn't sell you to some evil, malevolent person… Crap… I'm not going home today..."

The classroom hushed down abruptly as if someone had hit the mute button. There were a few motions but no sound whatsoever. Not a single person even asked if he had really heard Yuki accurately even though it sounded ludicrous. Hearing about parents selling their children was only a phenomenon decades ago, but that supposedly didn't happen anymore. Besides, weren't children who had been sold by their parents usually slaves or servants? Yuki was neither as far as they knew. A few exchanged unnecessary glances. Everyone was thinking about the same thing. Even Mayu had stopped her lecture to listen.

"Yuki, calm down."

"I can't. Is Akito coming too? Is he angry I ditched New Years?"

Haru shrugged, "I doubt he knows. He was too ill to get out of bed that day. Hatori didn't let him out of his room."

"Thank god…" Yuki let out a short breath of relief before panicking again, "And mother? What did I do this time…?"

"If you had said 'who', I would have said Tohru…" Haru cracked a smile, but Yuki didn't find Haru's sense of humor entertaining at all. His face contorted with anger, clearly displaying how amused he was by Haru at the moment. Yuki stood up, clenching the edge of his desk to restrain himself from doing anything violent, but it turned out to be nearly impossible. Hearing Haru use Tohru's name in such a vile sentence made his blood boil. He didn't like anyone, not even his family or her own for that matter, insulting Tohru. Before he did hurt the ox, he spun Haru around and shoved him towards the door.

"Just leave."

"But I want to say my goodbyes before your death," Haru said seriously.

"Thank you… But you're still leaving."

Yuki sat back down in his seat, laying his head down on his arms. Tohru stared at the forlorn boy with wide chocolate eyes, fear clearly splattered across her now white face. He hadn't even told her about what his mother might do to her, and she was already scared. It was easy, however, to worry more about someone you loved than your own wellbeing. She struggled with the task of opening her mouth and twisting words around in her head to form something coherent before managing to speak.

"D-death?" Tohru squeaked.

"He's kidding… Er… Never mind. Yes, death. I'm going to die tonight," Yuki nodded, not turning to face her or Haru as he spoke, "Thanks Haru… Maybe I'll leave you something in my will…"

"Sohma, Hatsuharu, if you don't leave at this moment I will personally escort you to the principal's office, and Sohma, Yuki, if you wish to continue being so melodramatic you may join him in the office," Mayu offered.

"No thank you," both boys replied at once.

Haru immediately started for the exit but froze when he reached the door, "Don't forget to include me in your will, Yuki."

Yuki didn't respond. He just continued to lie there, ignoring the numerous eyes that were fixated upon him. Death really wasn't what scared him most. Dying was something he had thought about frequently ever since he had first met Akito. The whole process of eradication fascinated Akito, and he had filled Yuki's young mind with over a hundred different ways a person's life could end. Murder was Akito's favorite topic. Seeing as most of his life had been spent with this malevolent person, his own death didn't scare him as much as it used to. What sent shivers down his spine was the thought about afterwards. Not his own afterlife, but Tohru's life after he ceased to exist.

Who would protect her when he wasn't alive anymore?

He slowly turned his head so he was facing Tohru. He couldn't bear to think about her having to suffer. So many people held resentment towards the poor brunette. Half of the female population in this school alone wanted her dead. If that wasn't enough, his mother probably did too and so did Akito. Akito… That dreadful name repeated itself inside of Yuki's head a few times before he shuddered. He, more than anyone else, would be most likely to follow through with his plans to exterminate Tohru Honda.

With Akito, there was no doubt in his mind that torture would be involved if he was going to kill Tohru. His mind was already conjuring up images of Tohru dying a prolonged death, and the worst part was that no matter how many times she cried out his name, he couldn't help her because he'd already be dead. He cringed, shoving those pictures out of his head before he went overboard and ran away with Tohru to keep her safe. He tried to convince himself that that wouldn't be necessary, but it wasn't working. Being so familiar with Akito and his mother, he found it difficult to even consider a happy ending to this ordeal.

Haru, believing Yuki had just shivered out of fear for his life, tried to assure Yuki that he was in no danger, "Yuki, your mom isn't going to kill you, and you know that, right?"

"You're right… Killing me wouldn't advance her socially or get her any more money. No reason for her to waste her time doing that when she could be at home admiring her piles of cash," Yuki spat out bitterly.

Mayu glared at Haru, making him finally retreat out the door, and went back to teaching her lesson, unfazed by the fact that her star student was clearly not even close to listening. She had gotten used to the lack of attention she received from Yuki since he was a first year. Tohru, on the other hand, was extremely bothered by Yuki's attitude. She chewed the eraser of her pencil as she watched him. Mortified by the wave of agony drifting off of him, Tohru touched his shoulder to get his attention. She had to apologize. He was going to die –yes, she honestly believed that-, and it was all her fault.

"Yuki-kun? I'm sorry…"

Yuki lifted his head, giving her a perplexed look, "For what?"

"Well… Um… Hatsuharu-san said that you're in trouble with your mom because of me… Maybe I should talk to her?"

"Don't! She's irrational and a bit crazed. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if she did anything that harmed you in any way. Maybe, it'd be best if you didn't go home either," Yuki nodded to himself.

Tohru flinched backwards slightly, realizing for the first time that what Yuki was worried about wasn't his own life but hers. She angled her chair towards him, her eyes wide enough to pass as saucers. Yuki couldn't tell if her expression was due to shock, fear, or a combination of the two, but he didn't like that look either way. He lowered his eyes, staring at nothing in particular before him as he began speaking to her, trying to distract her from what was awaiting them at home. He wasn't entirely sure why he chose such a gloomy subject though, but it probably had something to do with his visitor.

"Tohru, you never had any problems with your mother, but can you possibly understand the resentment I hold against mine? Can you imagine what it's like to not only be rejected by your own mother but sold to some vile man or how it feels to be six years old and forced to play with someone you just met who yells at you for coughing –which you can't help because you have asthma? Do you have any idea what it's like to be locked in a room about the size of a goddamn bathroom painted black and be mentally tortured as well as physically? Then, could you even grasp what it'd be like to find your brother, reach out for help, and be rejected?" he whispered to her.

Tohru's mouth hung open. She had no idea how to respond. It was true that she had always been curious about his childhood. His past was the only one she didn't know much about out of all her friends, and yet, it was also the one she was most eager to learn about. She was too polite to question him about it and too shy to get the information out of others, but it had always been something that nagged her. Sometimes, she'd see a traumatic look cross his face at the mention of Akito's name or his mother's, and she'd wonder what could have possibly happened to cause him to fear them that much. Now she was finally hearing his story, and she wasn't sure she wanted to hear anymore. It was beyond heartbreaking, and he was only just beginning.

"Do you really know what it's like to be lonely? The only time I ever got to go out was to go to this stupid prestigious school. I remember getting a ride there and staring out the windows, wishing I was going to the same elementary school as Kyo, Haru, Kagura, and Momiji. Do you know what it's like to have people who you want to befriend treat you like poison and tell you they hate you? I do. I experienced that twice. And let's pretend you got out one day, feeling like maybe everyone's life would be better if you just disappeared, and you actually got to help a little girl return home. You'd feel better about yourself, wouldn't you? I know I did… until I got home… You know, I never really knew what life really was like not being locked in some room like an animal until a couple of years ago actually."

Wait… Did she just hear him correctly? He had helped some little girl find her home, and when she was a little girl, a young boy had led her back home when she was lost one day. She was too shocked to ask him about it, not that he paused long enough to let her ask questions anyways.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to be the new kid at school? Everyone knows each other, but you don't know a single person. And to make matters worse, everyone stares at you like you're some freak, and you're watching them too. They're laughing and smiling, and suddenly, you realize you have no idea how to do those things…"

Tohru could feel the water shoving their way down her cheeks. She remembered the first time she had seen him; she had mentally criticized him for giving a girl who clearly had a crush on him a false smile. Back then, she had naturally assumed he was just being rude to the poor girl. She had no idea that that might have been the first time he had smiled in a long time. Tohru reached forward to grasp one of his larger hands in her little ones. She clutched it tightly with her fingers as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Sorry… Don't cry… I think I got carried away…" Yuki murmured to her, lifting his hand out of hers to dry the tears that were streaking down her face.

She struggled to recompose herself. Tohru rubbed her eyes against the sleeves of her uniform and sniffled a few times to wipe the signs of crying off of her face. She had managed to stop bawling, but she looked ready to break down any minute. How she had forced herself to smile when she felt this miserable was beyond her comprehension, but she did it. It was what Yuki wanted. He pushed one side of his mouth upward, giving her half of a smile. He didn't say anything for a minute. It was quiet, too quiet. The silence seemed to be echoing off the walls, drowning out the faint murmur of Mayu's lesson. All eyes were on still on Yuki, and all ears had been straining to catch every word that slipped out of his mouth, but the only ones he was focused on were Tohru's.

"I never told you, did I?"

She shook her head slowly to the side.

"Well, you can see why, can't you? I don't like talking about it. I never told anyone until now. It's humiliating…" he muttered.

"It's not-"

"Just forget about it," he cut her off, "I don't want pity."

_Especially, not from you._

The bell rung a second after Yuki stopped speaking, rousing Kyo from his slumber. Yuki stood up abruptly, shoved his things away, and stormed out of the room before anyone else. He didn't want to hear a single comment anyone had about his past. Tohru was the second to leave, rushing after Yuki. Tohru darted down the hallways eager to catch up with him to make sure that he was alright, but by the time she was close enough to call out to him, he entered a classroom. Tohru halted to a stop before the door with a frown across her face. He had a student council meeting today, how could she forget? Tohru shook her head and sat down against the wall, deciding she'd wait for him to finish his meeting.

She gathered her knees up against her chest and folded her arms across them. Tohru sighed as she plopped her head down on top of her knees. She had no idea how long this meeting would take. She could already hear Yuki speaking to the others. His voice didn't hold a bit of grief, but after all those years of pretending that he was normal and happy, she could guess that he could make himself sound relatively joyous even in his darkest hour. She just hoped he wasn't depressed anymore, but who was she kidding? If she were him, she'd still be pessimistic. His past wasn't something that sounded like it'd be easy to get over. She stopped thinking and listened to the conversation within the room for any hints to tell her how Yuki was really feeling.

"Is it true that Tohru is pregnant?" a voice she recognized as Manabe's asked.

"Yes, now shut up before I kill you," Yuki breathed venomously.

"Kill me or impregnate me?"

There was a loud crash that made Tohru flinch before Yuki spoke again.

"Shall we start the meeting now?"

His words gave her the impression that he was alright, but that didn't give her enough reassurance that let her feel like she could leave. There wasn't a cell inside of her that even considered leaving him to fend for himself now. His mother was waiting for him at Shigure's house, and even though she wasn't very strong or smart, she wanted to let him know that she'd try her best to protect him or just be with him as he faced his fears. Tohru shut her eyes, choosing to rest her eyes as she waited for Yuki, but she didn't mean to fall asleep. The sound of the door opening woke her up almost an hour later.

"Tohru?"

Tohru peered up at Yuki, still partially asleep. She blinked in confusion a few times before it occurred to her that she had been sleeping in the middle of the hallway. Tohru jolted up and hopped to her feet. She didn't dare to steal a glance at Yuki until after she ran her arm across her face to get rid of any drool that might have dried on her face during her nap. Finding none, she mentally let out a sigh of relief before she remembered she had just been caught in a rather embarrassing situation by the boy she loved.

"Why are you still at school, Tohru?"

"I… I um…" Tohru stuttered, shuffling her feet awkwardly.

"Were you waiting for me?"

Tohru meekly nodded her head.

"You didn't have to… But I'm glad you didn't go home yet… I'd rather you be with me if you must see my mother," Yuki said, a smile tainting his voice.

Tohru instantly flushed. She was sure even Yuki could feel the heat radiating off of her cheeks from where he was standing. She couldn't even move from where she was standing until the classroom door slid open again and someone bumped into her. Tohru's eyes widened as she was sent whirling towards the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut, and her hands shot out in front of her to break her fall, but it they weren't needed. Yuki's hands caught hold of her shoulders before her feet left the ground.

"Why don't you watch were you're going?" Yuki glared at Manabe.

"Why? Don't you like playing the part of the hero?" Manabe grinned.

Yuki rolled his eyes, "Not if you're going to be such a lame villain."

Manabe snorted, "That's because I'm a way better hero than bad guy."

"Well, maybe it's about time you got to the part in the book where you find out that nobody really cares," Yuki muttered as he turned his attention back to Tohru.

Somehow, he managed to block out the rest of Manabe's ramblings about being a hero as he helped Tohru back into a vertical position. She was still blushing and unable to look up at him when she thanked him. He really sounded like a normal teenager at the moment, but she knew better than to believe this façade of his. Deep down somewhere inside of him, she knew he was suffering and still searching for the key that'd free him from his misery.

"Are you ready to go meet my mother?" Yuki asked her softly, almost hoping she'd shake her head no so he'd have a reason to keep her from his destructive mother, but his hopes were shot down as her head bobbed up and down in affirmation. He stared at her with a gentle smile, trying to let her know that it was alright if she didn't want to go, but she was oblivious to any secret meaning behind his smile and just beamed back at him. Yuki sighed, giving up on trying to tell her anything tacitly.

He laced his fingers through hers and tugged her down the hallways, ignoring Manabe's continued cries about some nonexistent protagonist. She embarrassedly followed after Yuki. Ducking her head every time a student or teacher who had stayed after school passed them, she tried to pretend she had no idea what they were thinking, but their expressions made their thoughts so accessible. To them, she and Yuki were the _experienced_couple. Too bad they were unaware of the small fact that they weren't even dating despite the fact that they both loved each other. Sometimes, having two relatively shy people in love wasn't the best idea.

Yuki walked tediously slow down the sidewalk, dreading introducing Tohru to his mother more by each passing second. Just being in the same room with his mother for even a minute would probably corrupt his sweet Tohru. He just hoped that whatever damage his mother might do to Tohru wouldn't be permanent. He walked slow enough to make Tohru notice, but she didn't comment. His grip tightened around her fingers as they stepped onto the path through the forest that would bring them to Shigure's house in a matter of minutes. He glanced down at Tohru's cheerful face, starting to doubt that she grasped how terrifying his mother was.

"Tohru, are you sure you want to see my mother? I'll be honest with you… She won't be very happy to see you…" Yuki trailed off.

At this, Tohru looked down at her feet. Yuki almost smiled, starting to believe that she really didn't want to see his mother anymore. Sadly, he misinterpreted her actions.

"I deserve it…" she mumbled softly.

Yuki could have fallen over right then and there at what she said. He practically did, but he steadied himself, not wanting to drag her down too since his hand was still intertwined with hers. She fell down enough on her own. Pausing, he shook his head at her with an exasperated look. Tohru cocked her head to the side, not understanding his gesture. Had she done something to annoy him? He usually only gave Kyo and Shigure that expression. He had always treated her with more care.

"If you're going to keep taking the blame for everything, you're not going to set a foot inside Shigure's house while my mother is there. I'll tie you to a tree or something like that if I have to," Yuki warned seriously, although slight humor dangled in the depths of his eyes.

"Eh?"

Tohru's eyes widened bigger than he had ever seen them before. Yuki burst into hysteria there, lowering his head in laughter. He loosely hugged her with his long arms making a large circle around her thin shoulders and placed his forehead on her shoulder as he laughed. Tohru's cheeks still burned red even though there was at least a foot of space between their torsos. After a minute or two, he peeled himself off of her and placed his hands on either side of her head, gazing into her eyes with a wide smile across his face.

"Did you honestly think I'd do that?"

"I… I um… I…" Tohru stammered, at a loss for words.

He let out another chuckle before wrapping his fingers around hers again and starting for the house once more. Tohru obediently followed, keeping her mouth shut and head down.

"I think… I must be going crazy… I'm sorry," he apologized.

Tohru raised her head, about to deny that when her eyes locked with a pair of dangerous ones down the road. The piercing eyes belonged to a slender woman dressed in a formal suit standing on Shigure's porch steps. Tohru swallowed nervously, instantly recognizing this woman as Yuki's mother from the brief glimpse she had received during parent teacher conferences. She peered up at Yuki to gauge to his reaction, but she could only see shock scattered across his flawless features. His silver eyes were dilated, and his mouth drooped open slightly. Tohru gave his hand a soft, reassuring squeeze before tugging him down the rest of the few feet to the front porch.

"Yuki, I've been waiting well over an hour for you. Where have you been?" his mother seethed, her annoyance evident in her tone.

"At a student council meeting."

The placid tone of his voice surprised Tohru. He sounded more calm and at ease than he had appeared a second ago. She glanced at him. There were no visible emotions or thoughts on his face, no traces of the previous humor or shock she had witnessed under a minute ago. Tohru switched her gaze back to his mother. Similarly, her lips were fanned out in a straight line, giving no emotion away, but Tohru could feel the anger fuming out of her. Tohru hadn't been around his mother for more than a minute or two, but already she was beginning to understand Yuki's fear of his own mother.

"And the girl?"

"She was with me."

"But she's not on the student council…?"

"No she isn't, but I don't see the relevance there."

Yuki's fingers tightened around hers, her only indication that he wasn't feeling as composed as he seemed to be. Tohru bit her lip, shutting her eyes momentarily to pray that everything would turn out alright. She really didn't want Yuki to get into trouble because of her. When her eyes opened, she found herself joining the staring contest being held between Yuki and his mother –or more like glaring contest. Tohru covered her lips with a couple of her fingers, now worried. Her small movements brought his mother's attention over to her, or more like to her hand which was still trapped inside of Yuki's. Acting more out of embarrassment than anything else, Tohru yanked her hand out of Yuki's and looked back down at the dirt under her feet.

Somehow, Tohru could tell that Yuki's mother's lips had just curved upwards just now even though her eyes were still firmly lowered. She twisted the end of her skirt nervously searching for something she could use to change the topic before his mother could mention the handholding. Tohru bounced up as an idea struck her.

"Has Shigure-san served you tea yet? Why don't you come inside, and I'll go make you a cup of tea?" Tohru suggested.

Neither Yuki nor his mother could say a thing before Tohru bounded around his mother and into the house. Yuki quickly followed after her, hoping walking that fast wouldn't make Tohru fall. Relieved, he found her still standing in the kitchen when he got inside. He looked around the house, not surprised to find nobody in sight. His mother grudgingly came in after him, seating herself at the table. Yuki cautiously sat across from her, waiting for Tohru to return. He tentatively observed his mother, searching his mother for any hostile intent, but so far, he found none.

It didn't take Tohru long to come back into the room with a tray full of teacups. She set one in front of his mother first, then she gave Yuki one, and saved the last one for herself. Yuki's mother warily slid the cup toward herself, took a small sip of the tea, and handed the cup back to Tohru with a dissatisfied look on her face. Dumbfounded, Tohru held onto the cup, not sure what Yuki's mother wanted her to do with it other than hold onto it.

"This brand is much too cheap for my tastes," she commented, not trying to conceal the smug look across her face.

"Oh… I'm sorry… I haven't had the time to go to the store and buy any other tea bags… Can I get you anything else to drink or eat?" Tohru offered politely.

She shook her head, "I doubt anything you have will suit me."

Yuki clenched his teeth together, "Mother… There is nothing wrong with the tea Honda-san made. Don't make her feel bad. Just drink it."

She shot Yuki a deadly look but took the cup back, angrily taking another sip, "Fine. Torture your poor mother to death."

The conversation ended with that statement. Tohru cradled her own cup in her hands, wishing she was anywhere else but at this table. She kept her eyes on the green ceramic cup to avoid the silent war raging between son and mother. She shifted awkwardly, repositioning her legs under the table. Silence had never scared her more than it did now. She usually preferred stillness to noise, but she'd beg right now for them to yell. At least then she could follow their words and do more to help than just sit here.

Yuki broke the silence, "Why are you here, mother?"

"I'm here because you clearly don't know how to lead a good life."

"What's that supposed to mean? I think I have quite a decent life."

"A decent life? Sleeping with some stupid, fat, ugly girl with nothing to her name and getting her pregnant is what you consider a good life?!! Have you considered what a child does to your future?! What do you think you're doing with yourself?! Have you considered what you having a child out of wedlock does to _my _life? Did it ever cross your mind that you're not only screwing up your life but mine as well? Think about others! What kind of son have I been raising?!"

"What about you?! Listen to yourself! There's more than your life involved in this situation. Don't you know your granddaughter is in there?" Yuki demanded, pointing at Tohru's rounding belly, "Don't you even care about that? There's going to be a little baby girl around soon enough with some of your genes. Doesn't that make you happy at all? I know it makes me happy, but if you're going to act like this, I'd rather not have my daughter ever meet her only living grandmother. I'd rather her not have any of your goddamn genes. Maybe then she could grow up to be a somewhat decent person who can actually think about someone other than herself!"

"She'll be an illegitimate child!" his mother screeched.

Yuki took a deep breath to calm himself down. He shut his eyes momentarily to relax. There was no need to be irrational and destructive. He could tell the shouting was already worrying Tohru. Yuki didn't have to turn his head to see that her eyebrows were twisted with concern for him. He slid his hand under the table and grasped her hand, holding it tightly. Her hand was frigid. He rubbed her hand with his fingers. There was no need for her to fret, he'd never let anyone place any harm upon her as long as he was around.

"That doesn't make her any less of a person or Tohru and I any worse of parents. Everyone makes mistakes in life, mother, but having a child with Tohru isn't one of mine. At least, I can guarantee I won't sell my child," Yuki retorted slowly.

His mother stood up, slamming her hands against the table furiously. All three cups of tea were knocked over, sending tea flowing across the tabletop and cascading down the edges, staining pillows and scorching skin. She glared at her son for a brief moment before tossing her purse over her shoulder and stomping out of the door, cursing under her breath the whole time. She hated losing a fight. She despised not seeing her son cower away with fear at her presence. Since when had she lost all authority over him? She was positive that what had caused him to stop listening to her was that girl with him, and she'd never forgive her for that. She'd never forgive Tohru for stealing away her son.

Yuki didn't move until she was out the door and had slammed it shut. Immediately, his hands had found Tohru's lifting them to his face to search for any signs of a burn, but they were perfectly dry, unlike his own. He couldn't have cared less about the hot liquid that had burned his own fingers. Yuki couldn't even feel his own pain. He was too concerned about the chance that Tohru had gotten hurt. His eyes drifted down to her school uniform top where a dark tea stain covered her abdominal area. He jumped up with alert and pulled her over to the kitchen, set her on the counter, and had a cloth drenched with cold water covering her belly before she even blinked.

As she slowly realized that her shirt was lifted, though not enough to reveal anything more than her stomach, Tohru flushed. Flustered, she pushed his hands and the towel away and yanked her shirt down. Tohru could feel her heart try to lurch out of her chest. She wasn't sure whether or not her body could continue handling this infatuation she had with Yuki.

"I'm fine!" she insisted.

"It doesn't look fine. Your stomach is pretty red…" Yuki stated.

"It's not r-red! It's just a little p-pink! I'm n-not burned!" Tohru stuttered, lifting her shirt a little bit to show him the pink blemish across her midriff.

Yuki peered at the pink blotch for a second. Maybe he had overreacted. He smiled at her before leaning forward and planting a kiss just above her belly button. Yuki withdrew before she shoved her shirt back down and accidentally hit him in the face. At the moment, Tohru's cheeks appeared to be redder than her midriff was. He leaned towards her, gazing into her eyes, attempting to distract her from her humiliation, but all he seemed to be doing was making her cheeks darken some more for some reason unknown to him.

"All better now?" he asked.

Tohru nodded quickly and hopped off the kitchen counter, eager to dart to her room and die of embarrassment. To make matters worse, she could swear that she heard Shigure giggling in the background and mutter something about a new story idea he had about two oblivious teenagers who were in love with each other but were too shy to tell the other. Sure, she had no clue to what had brought around that idea, but it was embarrassing nonetheless. The only comforting piece of information she had was that Yuki had faced his mother and came through unharmed in any way.

"You might want to change though…" Yuki made a hand motion towards her top.

Tohru began to nod again, but she froze when she noticed the red tint to his pale hands. She snatched one of them before he could hide them from her. They were warmer than they usually were, but at least he didn't wince out of pain as her fingers grazed the tender skin. Regardless, she was still worried. She peered up at him fretfully, still clutching his hand.

"Your hands-"

"Are fine. They're just a little pink," he mimicked her words and tone with a smile.

Tohru turned her head downwards, seemingly interested in his hand. She ran her finger across every line etched into his palm, tracing designs with her thumbs. Fiddling with his fingers, she didn't say a word for a while and neither did Yuki. Hastily, she released his hand, giving it back to him.

She felt compelled to spill her heart to him though she wasn't sure why. Maybe, it was because she had recently heard him tell her about how he had always been alone and wanted him to know that he wasn't, or maybe, keeping her feelings to herself was beginning to be too much of a burden for her. Either way, she wanted him to know even though she was aware of the possibility of rejection. Tohru wasn't sure that she'd be able to get the words out, but she had to try. She drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. She made herself look in his eyes, which were full of confusion.

"Yuki-kun… I think… I think I l-lov- I think I should go get you some ointment for your hands!" Tohru exclaimed, backing out in the last second.

Her stomach did flip-flops at how close she had come to telling him how she felt. She was disappointed that he still didn't know how she felt after she had come this far, but in a way, she was relieved. Tohru wasn't sure if she was ready for his reaction yet. Her mind had painted numerous situations for her that might follow her confession, but none of them ever ended with him telling her he loved her as well. Not a single one of them ended happily ever after, but that never surprised her. Her self-image wasn't very pretty, not compared to him. There was no way he could feel about her the same way she felt about him. It just didn't make sense.

"I think you should stop worrying about me and just change your outfit before we need to buy you another new school uniform," Yuki smiled at her, having no idea what she had almost said.

Tohru nodded and raced upstairs and into the bathroom before a stain formed on her uniform. She'd hate to have to buy yet another school uniform. It'd be such a waste. Quickly, she tore off the blue sailor top and placed it under the faucet. Adding some soap to the running water as she scrubbed, the brown spot easily vanished. She smiled and hung her blouse, which held no traces of the previous damage, on a hanger to dry.

Contrary to the painless process of washing the tea off of her shirt, the streak across her heart wouldn't fade so simply. There was an invisible imprint on her heart that would forever mark it as _his_ and no one else's.

_What if… he really likes me… What if… he loves me…_

She sighed, setting her hand on her forehead tiredly. If she hadn't stopped her own confession, maybe she wouldn't be standing here dwelling upon what ifs. She could have been less depressed if she knew that if she had just removed the first two words of both statements, she'd be left with the truth she had been searching for all along...

* * *

And the moral of this chapter? Don't tell your life story in the classroom! It's distracting : ) Especially if you're the school prince. -sigh- I'm dissatisfied with the end, but I've twisted the words around enough. Correct my mistakes! I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving. 


	21. Week 21

_I'm not hungry…_

He was sick of hearing that phrase, tired of hearing her lie about her appetite. All he had seen her do the past couple of days was sit at the table and watch them eat, and at lunch, she only had a rice ball and three strawberries, hardly enough for a pregnant woman. Honestly, he didn't even think she was eating enough for a five-year-old. He watched her shove around the food on her still full plate for a minute longer before he caved in, letting his desire to finally speak win, but at least, he managed to contain the urge to reach over and force-feed her.

"You haven't been eating very much the past few days," he pointed out.

"Ah… Um… I ate while you were studying in your room…" she murmured.  
Lie. He hadn't studied today. Actually, when had he ever studied? He had been down here, watching her, waiting for her to eat something, but she never did. He stared at her worriedly. She couldn't stop eating now, though he could partially understand why she was doing this, or at least he had an assumption that this was because of the excessive weight gain of pregnancy. He could somewhat grasp the feeling of insecurity a woman might feel while not being as thin as she once was, but it was hard for him, someone who never really paid much attention to his own weight, to comprehend the need to be skinny. All he knew was that their daughter was depending on her food intake for her own nutrients.

Sure, he understood self-esteem issues. He had problems with his own self-image, but that was with how he perceived his own personality and attitude, not his physical appearance –besides not being entirely comfortable with his slightly feminine looks. How looks prevailed over personality nowadays baffled him. It seemed rather absurd for people to be fussing over appearances when one day they were all going to be old and wrinkly, but even if that happened, they'd still be remotely the same on the inside. Besides, why was Tohru, the girl who hardly gave a second thought to what others thought of her, worrying about her waistline? She had no reason to be paranoid about her rounding belly. A baby was in there, not a mass of fat. Besides, wasn't she aware of how downright adorable she looked, even now?

Obviously not.

Tohru fidgeted in her seat, uncomfortable with his staring. She had no idea that someone had noticed how little she had been consuming. It almost made her maniacal, though not entirely in a bad way, to know that he was observing her, that he was paying enough attention to her to notice that. She felt her cheeks grow hot, and she was suddenly grateful that both Shigure and Kyo were no longer at the table with them. She sort of wished she wasn't at the table anymore either. Tohru didn't like anyone, especially Yuki, to see her blush. She turned her face down towards her hands, fiddling with them, awaiting Yuki to finish his meal so she could leave and wash the dishes.

"Does this have anything to do with what my mom said last week?" Yuki guessed, anxious to get to the bottom of this.

She was silent. He took that as a yes.

"Tohru…"

"I'm fine."

She stood up abruptly, taking her untouched plate with her. Tohru turned around before Yuki could identify whether those were tears forming in her eyes or just a figment of his imagination. She had already taken three steps towards the kitchen by the time he had gotten up, swerved around the table and clasped his hand around her shoulder. He had only meant to turn her around to continue talking to her, but he got more than he expected.

He watched the plate Tohru had once been holding launch into the air, flip over, sending food sprawling across the room, and land five feet from where he was standing as the brunette flopped back into his arms. Yuki quickly shifted his gaze over to Tohru, expecting her to jump up, apologize, and immediately start cleaning, but she didn't even open her eyes. Sixty seconds passed before he was willing to believe that something was wrong, and another minute before he could move, but it didn't even take him half a second to feel the fear drown him.

As carefully and gently as his terror stricken hands would let him, he set her down on the ground, still waiting for her to open her eyes, but she didn't. Not even after he shook her. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist instantly, checking for a pulse. Regardless of the weak but steady pulse he received and the normal rise and fall of her chest, signaling her breathing, he called Hatori after he brought her to her room and set her on her bed. Yet, even after Hatori told him that Tohru was going to be perfectly fine, he couldn't relax, not even enough to leave her side for a minute.

He didn't even release Tohru's frigid hand, not when Hatori came, not when he was sticking an IV into her arm, not after the doctor left, and not even after the numbers on the digital clock in her room signaled midnight.

His fingers only loosened around hers when she shivered and her large brown eyes crept out from their hiding place behind her eyelids. She stared at him for a minute in confusion before they widened with shock. She hopped up into a sitting position, her gaze traveling all around her room as if she didn't recognize where she was. The end of her scrutiny left her staring at the IV stuck in her vein. If he had thought she had been pale before, he wasn't sure what word was left to describe this new shade of white blooming across her skin.

Worriedly, his hand cupped her cheek, turning her face towards his.

"Are you okay, Tohru?"

She blinked, confused, "Yes… W-Why wouldn't I be?"

"You fainted… Don't you remember?"

"I-I did?!" she squeaked.

"Yes, you've been unconscious for quite some time now. Hatori suspects it's either due to dehydration –hence the IV- or because of your stress level," Yuki explained slowly.

"Dehydration?" Tohru repeated the word strangely.

"You probably know better than I do that you've hardly drunk enough or eaten enough… Please tell me you've at least been taking your prenatal vitamins…" he whispered hopefully.

Tohru bobbed her head up and down in affirmation, but she could not look him in the eye. As slow as she was, even she could figure out where this conversation was going. If his words hadn't given the direction away, his expression did. He seemed to be angry, disappointed, yet concerned, all at the same time. There were even hints of confusion plastered in his eyes. She could only guess what kind of thoughts and assumptions were running through his head at the moment. It wouldn't surprise her if he thought she was just another anorexic freak, and in a way, she'd admit, she was.

It was hard not to be self-conscious over her looks when every girl –with the exception of Uo and Hana- and most of the boys at school were making fun of her, taunting her every minute of the school day. Then again, maybe she wouldn't even be fussing over her appearance so much if the guy she loved didn't have most of the girls at school throwing themselves at him everyday. It might have been easiest if she didn't feel about him that way period. Then she wouldn't have to fret about how he thought she looked. Even so, Tohru didn't regret falling in love with him, but it couldn't have distorted her thinking more, though that might have something to do with the increased hormones in her body as well.

"What were you thinking, Tohru? You should know better… The baby needs her mommy to eat so she can grow…" Yuki trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

Tohru buried her face in her hands, gasping for air as strangled sobs escaped from the back of her throat. She couldn't hate herself more than she did at the moment. She knew she shouldn't worry about how she looked, but how could she not when she was competing with every girl at school for the attention of the man she loved? They were so much more beautiful than her, not to mention thin, and ten times smarter, but the only thing she could remotely control was her weight. Even then, she couldn't do much about it because she was pregnant. She wanted to be a good mother, she wanted to take care of her child, but most of the time, she just wished she wasn't pregnant.

It was a stupid wish, but she wanted it anyways. Being the school freak ceased to amuse her anymore. Actually, it was hardly even bearable anymore. She didn't want to worry about what she ate anymore. She didn't want to be nauseous any longer. She didn't want to be the main topic of school gossip ever again. She just wanted to a regular teenager and only worry about trying to get a date or try to earn money.

Yuki cringed, regretting his words. He hadn't intended to make her cry at all. Causing even a single tear out of Tohru was considered a sin in his world. It actually hurt to know he had pained her. Immediately, he drew her into his arms with an apologetic expression. Just feeling each tear of hers soak his shirt and hearing each sob, with the pure anguish the two brought him, made him repent his careless words. Yuki mentally kicked himself repeatedly as he held onto her trembling body. He'd give almost anything to be able to take those words back.

"I'm Tohru…" she mumbled into his chest.

He pulled away from her, confused. She wasn't doubting that he knew her, was she? Sure, he hadn't told her how he felt, but that hardly meant that his feelings weren't obvious. If he didn't care about her, why else would he be sitting up in her room at midnight? Sometimes, her thought process made no sense to him. Most of the time, that didn't bother him, but he wished she wouldn't think so poorly of herself. Waiting for her to elaborate, he watched her eyes drift down and lock her hands on top of her belly.

"I know that…" he reminded her.

"I'm not supposed to care about looking fat… I don't want to…"

She didn't want to care about her appearance… So why was she? Was there something he was missing? Did she secretly like someone and was worrying about her body for some guy? He tensed at the thought. He loved her and thought she was gorgeous, wasn't that enough? Apparently not. It made him wonder how much Tohru liked this guy if she was willing to starve herself for him, but what made him most curious was who this guy was or even if he was guessing the cause of her eating issue correctly. Regardless, that wasn't the most important thing at the moment. He wanted to end this whole situation before he looked into its cause.

Yuki placed his hand over her belly, "This is not fat, Tohru. This is your daughter, my daughter, our daughter… And, you know what? She's going to die if you don't eat. You're going to die if you don't eat. I care too much about you… and our daughter to let you do this."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize… Just promise me that you'll eat more now."

She looked down, taking a deep breath before she nodded. That seemed like an easy enough vow to follow through with. Besides, there wasn't much she wouldn't do if he asked her to. She closed her eyes, beaming. Thinking about what she had just done, it sounded a little silly to her now. Twenty-one weeks ago, she would never have thought that the weight gaining that came along with bearing children would affect her psychologically. She would never have dreamed that she would become one of those girls who fussed over her weight, but it had been harder than she had once thought to gain that much weight. Gaining fifteen pounds in a matter of months was a lot for her considering that she had been around the same weight for quite a few years now. Maybe she wasn't as ready for motherhood as she thought she was.

"Yuki-kun…? Do you think the baby will be okay?"

"Of course. You haven't been doing this for very long. Besides, many women feel self-conscious about their appearance during pregnancy…" Yuki told her, stating a fact from some webpage he had seen the other day.

"So… I'm not a freak?" she whispered hopefully.

Yuki laughed, "No, no you're not… But you're asking the wrong person. I used to turn into a rat when you hugged me, remember? It sort of takes a lot to freak me out."

That was a relief to hear. She didn't exactly want to hear someone remind her of how unfit she was at the moment to be a mother because of this little error she had made. It didn't take much to make the Yuki fan club girls reprimand her even though they had no right to. They had never been pregnant before, or at least, not this far into a pregnancy, so they hardly understood how much effort she had to put into even simple tasks, such as walking. It was like having a bag of flour strapped around her waist, and it looked like she did too.

Besides the actual weight gain, the indulgent eating made her feel guilty. She knew she was supposed to eat more food for the child, but she felt awkward eating more than Shigure, Kyo, or Yuki did, especially since they paid for the groceries. Tohru already felt like she was mooching off of them. She lived under their roof, used their electricity and water, and she didn't pay them a thing. They wouldn't take her money if she offered, and even worse, she was barely upholding her end of the bargain.

Everything was harder now that she was pregnant. Not only did morning sickness interrupt her duties periodically, but she performed her tasks lethargically. She wound up taking a nap after doing simple things like mopping the floor. She hated it, but Yuki never let her work over an hour after he found her fast asleep, curled up by the table a month ago. He even made her cut down her nighttime job to only weekends, and even then, she was forbidden to work over two hours. She didn't understand him. How did he expect her to support herself and her daughter if she couldn't work more than four hours a week? Her pay was minimal too.

The amount she ate bothered her most though. She had about two servings every meal, and sporadically Yuki would insist that she have a snack when he thought she hadn't consumed enough of a certain nutrient. Because of that, she had been avoiding him a bit, which turned out to be a bad idea. It had left her more than hungry, and the sound of her grumbling stomach showed it. Yuki smiled when he heard the unfeminine sound leak from her abdomen. She, on the other hand, was humiliated by the growl.

"I'll go get you something to eat. I'm sure you're hungry," Yuki offered as he got to his feet.

Tohru grabbed his hand, "Wait… I'll go with you."

She tossed her blanket aside and swung her legs off the bed, but he stopped her with a restraining hand on her shoulder before her feet touched the ground. He gently forced her back into lying on her bed and covered her with the blanket, much to Tohru's confusion and dismay, but she didn't question him yet nor did she try to sit back up after he retreated. She simply stared at him in a bewildered manner.

"I don't think that's a very good idea…" he told her.

"Why?"

He eyed the IV in her arm, hating to remind her about that. She flinched as her eyes located the IV again. She shuddered, unknowingly leaning away from the arm with the needle in it. He almost laughed. It was already in her arm, what else was there to be afraid of? Nobody was going to wander over, yank out the IV and poke her with it again. Despite finding her fear a bit ludicrous, he slipped her arm under her pink comforter, keeping the needle out of her sight. This seemed to cheer her a bit, but her posture was still rigid and cautious.

"Don't worry, it won't bite you," he reassured her.

Tohru simpered embarrassedly, her cheeks growing red.

"You're so adorable…" he chuckled.

He ruffled her hair with a smile before turning around to bring her back some food, but her tiny hand held onto his fingers. Yuki whirled around to face her again, tilting his head to the side questioningly. She hesitated, opening her mouth to speak for only half a second before shutting it again. He gently squeezed her fingers, urging her on. Normally, he wouldn't rush her into saying something she was uneasy about, but he was incredibly eager to get some food into her body. Tohru, sensing his anxiety but not understanding the reason for it, decided to spit out whatever she had to say and get it over with.

"Could you… Could you please not tell Uo-chan or Hana-chan about this, pl-please?" Tohru begged quickly.

Yuki's face contorted with confusion, not understanding why she would make such a request. She was never one to keep secrets from her friends other than her pregnancy which she hadn't even kept from them for more than three weeks. He couldn't argue with the plea sparkling in her eyes though, so he chose to agree with her demand before questioning her for the reason. Tohru seemed to instantly relax at the sight of his agreement

"As you wish… May I ask why?"

She looked down again, "Because Uo-chan and Hana-chan would be mad at me if you told them. They wouldn't understand…"

That had been partially a lie. Uo and Hana would never ever be angry at her, but they could be mad at Yuki. If they found out about this little situation, they just might kill Yuki. She knew they'd accuse him for making her feel so badly about her figure even though he shouldn't be blamed. It wasn't his fault if he wasn't interested in her, but he'd still be guilty in Uo and Hana's eyes. Since she didn't want him hurt over this and neither did she want Uo and Hana to accidentally tell him about her feelings as they yelled, she figured the best solution would be to keep this from ever reaching her two friends.

"I don't entirely understand either…" he pointed out.

"B-but you're not angry…"

"How do you know that?"

"You don't seem mad at me… A-are you?" she gasped, suddenly worried.

She wasn't sure what she'd do if he was angry with her. He was the one that was getting her through this pregnancy safely. He was, more or less, her babysitter, sending her to bed when it was too late, helping her understand her schoolwork, checking to see if she had eaten, and he even consoled her when she was upset. What was she to do if he was sick of this? This whole ordeal wouldn't be much fun without him, and honestly, thanks to the amount of time she got to spend with Yuki, she was practically enjoying the pregnancy. Tohru needed him, even if he didn't find her necessary for his survival.

"More worried than angry, I would say," he answered.

Tohru beamed, relieved. Worried she could handle, anger she couldn't. His concern would wear off soon enough, seeing as she planned to eat now, but she knew he could hold a grudge for quite some time. His relationship with Ayame couldn't be a better example. Ayame had rejected Yuki over ten years ago, but to the present-day, Yuki still resented Ayame slightly. This wasn't to say she thought he was a horribly indecent person. In fact, she considered him the opposite, but she knew things that angered him weren't forgotten very easily.

He watched her face change, displaying a variety of emotions within a single minute. She had been extremely nervous and frightened one second, joyful the next, and then back to sad and fretful again. Yuki wasn't entirely engrossed in the reasoning behind her change of expression but more so the fact that she was saddened in the first place. Desperate to bring the light back into her eyes, he smiled at her, covering her hand with his, leaning towards her.

"You want to know a secret?"

She nodded. He stared into her eyes for a brief moment, debating whether he should tell her what he had intended to or not, but it didn't take more than her keen interest to convince him to talk. He wasn't even sure he could have stopped himself from telling her if he tried. It hardly even registered in his head that he was even speaking until he was done and was gauging her face for a reaction.

He leaned over until his lips were practically against her ear, "_I_ think you're beautiful. So stop worrying about how you look…"

Tohru gaped, turning her head towards him in pure shock. She shook her head to either side rapidly, denying what he had just said vehemently. She had seen her reflection enough to know that beautiful was not the most accurate word to describe her appearance. Even before her pregnancy, she had never thought of herself as attractive. She wasn't the type of girl that got asked out on dates, not the kind of person that turned heads or stopped people in their tracks. She hadn't even been asked out once before, not even by the less popular guys.

"I-I am n-not!" Tohru squeaked.

"Hey, that's my opinion. _You_ can have _yours_, but _I_ can have_mine_."

Tohru frowned skeptically at him. The only people who had ever complimented her on her appearance had been her mother, Uo, and Hana. It was no shock that she doubted that the most popular guy in school, the guy she loved, thought she was physically appealing. She gazed at him, wanting to believe him, but she couldn't even though his voice sounded like it held only the best intentions, and his face didn't show anything but genuine honesty. Regardless, he was probably a good actor, and with the added benefit that she was rather gullible, she didn't think it'd take much to make her misread something.

"You're just trying to make me feel better…" she whispered.

"No, no I'm not."

"You really think that?"

"Would I lie to you?"

She looked down, flushing as she shook her head. She hadn't meant to give him the impression that she didn't trust him, but believing something like that would just be silly, even for someone as credulous as she was.

"Yet, you don't believe me?'

Again, she shook her head. He sighed, disappointed. He didn't quite understand why he felt so compelled to convince her that she was still attractive –at least in his opinion- even though she was pregnant, but he did.

"Believe what you like, but I've said nothing but the truth."

He brushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, his fingers dawdling by the edge of her face. Yuki was far from being some sort of Romeo, or even someone relatively experienced in love, but he knew what love was like. Love was the best feeling he had ever experienced even though he hardly understood it. It perplexed him how one small frown from her could drive him over the edge. Her unhappiness bothered him more than his own, so at the moment, he would do anything to take that sorrow from her, and considering how much time Yuki spent with Tohru, he knew exactly what would distract her most at the moment. Despite how embarrassed she –or even he- would be afterwards, he followed through with his last minute plan, deciding he liked her bashfulness more than her anguish.

There wasn't much more thinking from either of them before his lips made contact with her cheek. It was over before she even realized what was happening. He smiled, his fingers tickling her as they slid off her face. She stared at him, completely in awe as he stood up and started for the door.

"I'll go get your food now…"

**That end was in an odd place. Oh well. : MERRY CHRISTMAS. I hope your holiday was super spiffy. I hope you all do me a big favor for the holidays -besides editing this for me- and go to France and go kidnap Gaspard Ulliel for me. Pretty please? That guy is like... the most beautiful thing I've ever seen xD Teehee. A lot of research went into this chapter, hence the late update. So yes, this is a common aspect of pregnancy. Sorry if it was OOC. I liked the idea xD I'm weird.**


	22. Week 22

Tohru happily scrawled the last words to her response for the last question, finishing up the test she had to stay behind to finish. She had always been a slow test taker, often staying after school to complete them. She smiled, humming to herself as she reread her answers, checking to make sure they said what she wanted them to before she turned it in. Mayu nodded after Tohru set her test down, dismissing her with a wave. Tohru skipped down the row and gathered her things cheerfully to leave. It was a relief to be done with the test, though she was sure she had gotten most of them wrong.

"Goodbye, thank you for staying after so I could finish," Tohru bowed to Mayu before slipping out of the classroom.

She glanced up at the clock on the wall, surprised to find that school had been over for almost an hour. That meant Yuki's meeting had probably ended by now, and he would be heading home as well. This cheered her. Walking home with Yuki never ceased to be one of her favorite activities. With a grin across her face, Tohru strolled off to the student council room.

---

Yuki sighed as he watched the other members of the student council run out of the room, leaving him to clean up the mess they had left. He muttered a curse for Manabe, hoping he'd get hit by a bus or something on his way home, as he picked up the stack of papers from the floor that the vice president had knocked over on his way out. The once white sheets of paper were now covered with three different sets of foot prints. He tried his best to dust off the papers as he piled them back up, but it only seemed that he spread around the filth. After setting the heap of papers back on the corner of the teacher's desk where it belonged, he moved onto picking up the broken pieces of chalk scattered across the floor. Machi would have liked that, if she had shown up today.

He was surprised to see a pair of hands hold the rest of the pieces of chalk out to him. Yuki glanced up at Haru, thanking him as he took the small white pieces from him.

"Do you need something, Haru?" Yuki asked.

"Just came to see if you had confessed to Honda-san yet," Haru said simply.

Yuki rolled his eyes at the white haired teen before he stood up and shoved the chalk bits into a small box. He ignored Haru's curious expression and opened a drawer behind the teacher's desk, returning the box while hoping nobody would notice the once new chalk box now didn't contain a single whole piece of chalk. Haru was still watching him when he finished, waiting for a response that Yuki didn't plan on giving him. Yuki didn't understand why his life seemed to interest everybody around him, especially since all he wanted was some privacy.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," Haru muttered in a disappointed voice.

"What's it to you anyways?" Yuki retorted, irritated.

Haru was silent as he plopped himself on top of a desk by Yuki. How long it was taking Yuki to work up the courage to tell Tohru how he felt about her was beginning to annoy Haru. He didn't understand why Yuki wouldn't tell her. It was quite obvious to him that Tohru loved Yuki. He didn't even see her that often, but every time he did, she was always around Yuki with a smile and a small blush, quite like the one across Yuki's face at the moment but much darker. Didn't Yuki ever notice how Tohru was always staring at him whenever she wasn't around him or how she seemed like someone was sending her off to hell each time she left his side? Haru didn't think she could make her feelings much clearer unless she wrote she loved him across her forehead.

"Because one day you're going to marry her. Of course it concerns me since I'm going to be your best man, right?" Haru inquired seriously.

Yuki shook his head in disbelief, keeping quiet. Haru was being as unreasonable as ever, planning a marriage and deciding he'd be the best man before Yuki was even dating Tohru. Despite how sure Haru was over Tohru's feelings, Yuki was hardly convinced. She never seemed to show much interest him other than friendship, but she treated everyone as a friend. She had even been nice and polite to his mother! That left him with no confidence to tell her anything. He loved her more than he should, and she probably was his friend at most. He knew he should be grateful for that, content even, but he was barely satisfied. Love was selfish, and he was possessive, he knew that much. Simple friendship would never be enough for him.

"I'm not teasing you. Why are you afraid, Yuki? You two are meant to be. You already have a kid on the way. How long will it take before you guys are married? Just confess already," Haru urged impatiently.

"Honestly, Haru, I can't even see myself with Tohru ten years from now… Not even five…" Yuki whispered.

Tohru froze at the doorway, her mouth dropping open as her ears swallowed Yuki's words. He didn't want her around him anymore. Suddenly, it was difficult to breathe, and she couldn't swallow the lump lodged in her throat. She couldn't think of anything other than what he had just said. Her brain picked at the words, rearranging them and repeating them until her heart was ready to jump out of her chest. He didn't want her. Not even as a friend. Her eyes burned as she retreated from the room before either Yuki or Haru noticed she was even there. She tore down the hallways, blinded by tears as she stumbled across the school.

She was already at the end of the hallway, too far away to hear Yuki mumble something about her being too good for him. His misinterpreted words rang in her ears, dancing around and stabbing at her heart, digging deeper after each round. She clutched her chest, begging the pain to go away, but it seemed to hurt more with each passing second. She had always known it was unlikely for Yuki to love her back, and she had thought she had prepared herself well for heartbreak, but she had never imagined the pain to consume her as a burning fire would. Her body throbbed all over, inside and out. She couldn't even remember hurting this much ever before in her life.

Heartbroken, she darted the rest of the way to Shigure's house and rushed to her room, slipping past Kyo and Shigure and ignoring the questions directed at her. She only allowed herself to drop on her bed and cry for five minutes before she set to work, shoving all her belongings into a suitcase. If Yuki didn't want to be around her anymore, she'd save him the trouble of waiting until they graduated. She'd go back to her grandpa's. It was the least she could do for him. The only way she could think of to pay him back. She wouldn't force him to go through the pregnancy with her if he didn't want to, nor would she burden him with her presence and smother him with her feelings anymore. Yuki had already been too generous to her, helping her through life in general, and in the end, he was too nice to even suggest her return to her own home.

With all her clothing and other possessions shoved into two suitcases, she wiped at her wet, red, and puffy eyes, choked back her sobs, and headed out of her room to say her goodbyes before Yuki returned. She wasn't sure she'd be able to leave if he was at home while she left. Just being in the same room as him tended to make her a bit lightheaded and her legs shake. Besides, it would be inconsiderate to bother him with her trivial departure. After all, he had suffered with her living with him for two years already. It was about time she let him have what he wanted for once. He deserved that at the least.

Tohru took a deep breath before lugging her suitcases down the stairs and setting them beside the staircase. Tediously, she wandered over to the kitchen where Shigure and Kyo were still seated, apologizing for ignoring them earlier before she started to say her goodbyes. It was about time she stopped taking advantage of their kindness. Shigure and Kyo stopped focusing on anything but her as she began to speak.

"Shigure-san, thank you for letting me stay here… I-I really appreciate it, b-but I think it's time for me to l-leave."

"Tohru-kun, you're leaving? You don't have to. We love having you live here," Shigure insisted.

"I-I can't stay here forever… It wouldn't be right. I h-have to go," Tohru whispered, struggling not to cry.

Shigure was speechless. He had never seen her so determined to do anything. She had always been a pushover. Usually, she would have given in by now and agree to stay since he wanted her to, but she wasn't budging one bit. He glanced over at Kyo, finding the teenager just as baffled as he was. Shigure watched her for a brief moment before deciding to let her have her way, confident that she wouldn't be able to stay away for long, not with Yuki here. He knew as well as anyone else how Tohru felt about Yuki. Tohru fidgeted in her spot, anxious to get going. Yuki would get home any minute now.

"Well, if you feel that way… I can't stop you, but you know you can always come back here, okay? Take care of yourself, Tohru-kun, and be sure to come back and visit," Shigure told her.

"I w-will… Thank you. G-Goodbye Shigure-san, Kyo-kun," Tohru forced a smile onto her face, although smiling was the last thing she felt like doing at the moment.

She bowed to them before walking back to her luggage. Slipping her fingers through the handles, she lifted them sadly. She didn't want to leave, yet her desire to please Yuki took priority over her own wishes. It was time she did something for someone else. She couldn't be selfish. He had been kind enough to let her stay here despite his feelings toward it. Fighting back tears, she passed Kyo and Shigure on her way to the door with a faint smile. She didn't want them to know how badly she wanted to stay. Moving out was her choice, and she wouldn't have any of them feeling guilty over it if she could help it.

"Tohru-kun, you're not going to stay to say goodbye to Yuki-kun?" Shigure asked in a shocked tone before she exited.

Tohru shook her head as she opened the door and stepped outside. Shigure and Kyo exchanged baffled expressions. If there was only one person she could say goodbye to, they were certain it'd be Yuki, but she didn't even seem willing to wait five minutes for him to get here. For some reason they suspected to be Yuki, she was preoccupied by something and eager to get going. By the time her feet touched the bottom steps, she didn't seem to be paying attention to anything but her thoughts, making her surprised when she realized Kyo had followed her out of the house. She stopped on the edge of the porch, turning back to face him with a confused expression, but he didn't speak until he closed the door.

"Are you leaving because of the damn rat?" Kyo questioned bluntly.

Tohru didn't respond, turning her face downwards to hide her forlorn expression. She hadn't given him a confirmation to his accusation, but her body language made her intentions clear enough. She flinched at the sound of something breaking. Moving her eyes a couple of feet from her shoes, she found shards of broken ceramic covering the dirt. Stealing a glance upwards, she found a furious expression across Kyo's face. He stomped over to her, clenching his hands in shaking, tight fists.

"What did he say to you? I'll kill him!" Kyo roared.

"He didn't say anything to me," she put extra emphasis on the last two words to keep it from coming out as a lie.

Despite her words, Kyo still blamed Yuki, knowing there wouldn't be any reason for Tohru to move out crying if it wasn't for something Yuki had done. Nobody decided to leave home without a cause, and since she hadn't even mentioned moving at all until a few minutes ago, he could tell it was a last minute decision. This left him with the impression that Yuki must have done something awful to her to make her pack her things, and he wanted to know exactly what it was that was motivating her to move, but he'd settle for trying to convince her to stay instead.

"He's not the whole world, you know that, right? You don't have to leave just because the damn rat doesn't love you. He's just a coldhearted jerk!" Kyo yelled.

"Kyo-kun… Yuki-kun is my world…" Tohru admitted softly.

Releasing her suitcases, she covered her mouth with both of her hands, stifling cries that demanded to come out. Taking a few deep, ragged breaths, she swallowed her sobs before she ran her arm across her face, drying her tears. Tohru made an attempt to smile, but it only seemed to make her want to curl up in a ball and weep, and she didn't have time to do that. Yuki would get home soon. She didn't want to make him endure unnecessary time with her for something as pointless as a goodbye, regardless of how much it'd mean to her.

"I love you too, you know that?" Kyo pointed out, frowning with sadness.

"I know… And I'm sorry…"

"That's not good enough for you, is it?"

"Kyo-kun, I-"

"Whatever. Just don't forget that I'll always be there for you," Kyo reassured her.

"Thank you, Kyo-kun… I'll miss you…" she whispered, "Goodbye…"

Picking up her luggage again, she shuffled down the dirt path, disappearing from Kyo's view. Tohru sucked in a deep breath, refusing to cry. She didn't want anyone to know how much she'd cried already. She was sure her red, puffy eyes made her agony painfully clear enough. Trudging down the sidewalk, she eventually came across the familiar home of her grandpa. Slowly, she climbed the steps to her grandfather's house and rang the doorbell. Her grandfather answered the door a second later, surprised to see her there with suitcases in her hands.

"Grandpa, can I move back in with you, please?"

He didn't say anything as he opened the door wider, allowing her inside. She stumbled in, fighting with tears all over again. Even this house was filled with memories of _him_. The time he had come with Kyo to bring her back to Shigure's house instantly began replaying in her head, and she didn't bother to conceal the tears that began dripping off her face.

---

"She what?!" Yuki demanded.

"She moved out. You just missed her. She left a few minutes ago," Shigure responded with a sigh.

Yuki was too bewildered to even be angry. His brain slowly digested the information. Tohru had left. Forever. And she didn't even consider him important enough to stay and say goodbye to. An unfathomable amount of pain washed over his body, stunning him for a moment and leaving his body slightly trembling. He couldn't accept this. Tohru couldn't leave. She was the only sane person who had lived in this house. What were they going to do without her? What was _he_ going to do? Already, he missed her presence. He needed her back or at least a reason behind her departure, but the first was preferable.

"Why did she leave?! Why didn't you stop her?!"

"She didn't give a reason. She seemed determined to leave. I don't think I could have convinced her to stay," Shigure replied.

"So you didn't even try to?!"

"Yuki, we can't force her to stay here if she doesn't want to."

Shaking his head, Yuki left the room, bounding up the stairs to Tohru's room. He opened her door, bewildered by the now empty room. Yuki walked inside, breathing in the sweet scent of strawberries that always seemed to follow her. She couldn't be gone. She just couldn't be. Yuki wasn't ready for her to leave yet. He hadn't even told her how he felt about her yet. Just seeing her in school hardly seemed like enough time with the teachers lecturing most of the class periods. Besides, they'd be graduating in a year. What excuse would he have to see her then?

Pacing around her room, he was shocked to find damp spots on the carpet. Learning he was stepping on pools of Tohru's tears, he bent over, kneeling on the floor and fingering the wet patch of carpeting. Tohru had cried. This could only mean she didn't want to leave. It filled him with some joy to learn that, but now, he was overwhelmed with curiosity. What had he done to compel her to leave without saying a word to him? He was too distracted to hear Kyo enter the room or to even dodge the attack. The next thing he was aware of, he was sitting on the floor, clutching his throbbing jaw.

"This is all your goddamn fault, damn rat!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Yuki demanded, irritated, but not angered enough to bother to get up and give Kyo a bashing.

"This is all you fault, stupid rat," Kyo hissed, repeating himself.

"How is it my fault? I didn't do anything to her. I haven't even seen her since class let out."

"You obviously did something. Why else would she have left? She thinks you don't like her anymore or some other crazy thought like that," Kyo snarled.

Dumbfounded, Yuki stared at Kyo, wondering how Tohru had gotten that impression. He hadn't treated her any differently, and he wouldn't even dream of saying something hurtful to her. Hadn't he just told her he cared about her last week? Granted, it wasn't the beautifully composed confession of love he had wanted to tell her, but surely, it was enough to let her know not liking her couldn't be farther from the truth. Obviously, he hadn't made his affection towards her clear enough.

"She… She thinks I don't like her? Why would she think that?"

"How the hell would I know?! It's just your goddamn fault, and you better fix it."

"Well, did she tell you where she went?" Yuki asked.

Kyo was speechless for a moment, "Damn it. I forgot to ask her where she was going."

The red head darted out of Tohru's room and out the backdoor, trying to see if he could track Tohru down, but Yuki stayed where he was. He knew better than to run around aimlessly outside. Tohru had probably gotten to wherever she had intended to with all the time they had wasted asking stupid questions and yelling at each other. He reached for her nightstand, picking up the one thing she had left. It was a frame, enclosing a picture of himself, Tohru, and Kyo. He flung it across the room, muttering angry profanities as it crashed against the wall. He was at a loss of what to do besides let the tear dripping down his face join her previously shed ones on the carpet.

**For a story revolving around a pregnancy, that chapter had nothing to do with it whatsoever. ;D Remember, I LIKE YUKIRU. So just correct my mistakes and... know that this IS a happily ever after?**


	23. Week 23

Yuki stiffly stalked into the school, ignoring anyone who tried talking to him. He was in a foul mood. Actually, he had been irritated since he found out Tohru had left, and his spirits only seemed to worsen as each day passed. He hadn't seen Tohru in over seven days now. Tohru hadn't come back to school since she left, and he had no idea what to think. He was losing his sanity slowly as the seconds ticked by. Concern overwhelmed him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't locate her. Yuki had no clue as to whether she was safe and warm or not, or worse, injured. He was worried it just may be the latter. Tohru wouldn't skip school for a week for no reason. His mind had painted out numerous different scenarios for him, and none of them were very pleasant.

Ire was his constant companion nowadays, along with its more subtle buddy, fret. He couldn't handle not knowing when he was going to see his beloved next. He needed to know she was all right. The only reason he still even bothered to go to school was for the chance that Tohru would show up that day. It didn't look like she was here today though. He had already passed her locker twice during his annoyed stroll around the school. What he found most strange wasn't the fact that Tohru wasn't attending school but that Uo and Hana weren't concerned at all. They seemed to know where Tohru was but didn't feel compelled to inform him. That bothered him to no end.

Why wouldn't they tell him where Tohru was?

Grumpily, he shoved past Kyo, who was standing by the door and blocking his way in, with unnecessary added force. Yuki angrily sat himself down in his seat in the back of the room, folding his arms across his chest as he waited for school to start. He was already waiting for it to end. He wanted to go back to searching for Tohru. There had to be some place he was missing, although he was positive he had checked every nook and corner within a five mile radius. He had even pestered Momiji's father and got him to tell him that Tohru hadn't even come to work. That was a cause for worry, considering how much Tohru worried about having enough money to support their child.

He flipped open his notebook, pretending to take notes as Mayu began to speak. Yuki was partially sure she was reading a story out loud, but he was too busy glancing down at what he had written to pay her any mind. He had listed every place Tohru was likely to be and had recorded anything that suggested that Tohru might have stopped by there. So far, he had only found one clue, and that was the cream colored ribbon he had given to her for white day a year ago. It had been trapped in one of the plants of his garden, but by the dirt smudged across it, he couldn't tell whether that had fallen there recently or if it had slipped out of her hair the last time they went to his base together.

So absorbed in his notes, he didn't even notice when the classroom door opened. He only looked up after Kyo had thrown his eraser at him. The sight Yuki found himself staring at left him speechless. Tohru was standing in the front of the classroom, handing Mayu a note. He stood up abruptly, but she didn't even glance his way as she shuffled down the aisle to the back of the room. To his shock, she didn't even head to her seat beside him, she plopped herself into the empty desk next to Kyo, three desks down from him. Yuki gaped in a mix of fury and surprise.

She was avoiding him and not doing a very good job of concealing it.

"Yes, Sohma? Would you like to read?" Mayu questioned curtly.

Yuki shook his head as he dropped back down into his chair. He shut his notebook as Mayu went back to reading, but he wasn't paying attention. He was staring at Tohru, watching her as she pulled her a sheet of paper and began jotting down something. Yuki had to clench his teeth together to keep from growling when she whispered something he couldn't hear to Kyo. She wasn't averting Kyo, so why was she dodging him? He was the one who loved her more than anything else in the world. Didn't she know how much she was hurting him?

He glanced up at the clock, grimacing when he learned they were only five minutes into class. Forty-five more minutes more until class was over. Yuki started counting down the seconds until the five minute break they got. He'd clear things up with Tohru then, he decided, but that didn't happen. As soon as the bell rung, Tohru was out of her seat and headed outside. He followed her and called out to her, but she didn't pay any attention to him as she went into the bathroom. Being as stubborn as he was, he stood outside the restroom, waiting for her to come out until the bell rang. He would have continued to wait if the teacher hadn't ordered him to come back to class.

Tohru came back inside a second after he reached his seat, perfectly timed so he didn't get a chance to speak with her.

He was determined to beat her at this game, but she turned out to be a better player at this than he had expected. She always seemed to hide out in the places he couldn't enter whenever they had a break. She went to the bathroom more than any person would need to, and she even went to the infirmary, where the nurse refused to let him see Tohru. Tohru had even hid in the girls' locker-room during one of their short breaks, and he couldn't even find her during lunch even though he had searched the whole period, which meant, he hadn't eaten and was starving when he wandered back to class.

Class had already started by the time he stepped in, and he was assigned a detention. Frustrated with his progress, he slumped down in his seat and glared straight ahead. No point in staring at Tohru anymore. That just fueled his urge to just start talking to her in the middle of class. He was sure he wouldn't even be bothered by the fact the whole class would be listening anymore. It was soon the last class of the day. He'd try a new tactic this time. Yuki refused to let her leave this building without listening to what he had to say.

He'd beat her to the door and stop her there.

He wouldn't let her walk out of this classroom without him.

Yuki was so absorbed in refining his plan that he didn't even hear the bell ring. By the time he realized class was over, Tohru's seat was empty. He muttered several profanities before darting out of the room, abandoning his possessions. Yuki dashed down the hallway, quickly finding Tohru at the end of the corridor. He didn't bother calling out to her. That'd just make her walk faster. He nearly pounced on her when he was near enough. Yuki grabbed her by the shoulder, halting her exit. Tohru stopped in the middle of her step, unable to move at all. She didn't say anything as he turned her around. She kept her eyes downcast as he peered at her. He was sure she would have bolted if his hand wasn't restraining her.

"Where have you been? Do you know how many hours of each day of this past week I've spent looking for you, that I've spent worried sick about you?" Yuki demanded in an unintentionally sharp voice.

"I was at grandpa's…" Tohru whispered in an almost petrified voice, still not looking up at him.

Yuki's mouth dropped at her response. That had been the first place he had checked, and he had been told by her grandfather that he hadn't seen Tohru since their last visit there. Either Tohru was lying now, or her grandpa had lied to him several days ago. He didn't think Tohru was capable of lying, but he couldn't figure out a reason for her grandfather to lie to him about where Tohru was, unless, Tohru didn't want to be found.

"You… You couldn't have been. I looked there. He said you weren't there… Never mind! That's not important. But, why did you leave?" he inquired impatiently.

"Be-Because you said you don't want me there anymore," Tohru murmured.

She glanced up at him as if she were stating the obvious. Even so, her voice still sounded hurt, but at the moment, she was more confused. Tohru was well aware that she was upset over this. It was hard not to be agonized when the one she loved didn't return her feelings and worse, didn't even want to see her. She had tried so hard to stay out of his sight, to give him what he wanted, and now, he was the one approaching her and looking like the victim here. He almost seemed as pained as she was, and she had no idea why. She thought he'd be happy since she was no longer smothering his life, but he looked miserable.

"When did I say that?"

"Y-You told Hatsuharu-san that-that you couldn't see yourself with me…" Tohru answered with a sniffle.

Yuki stared blankly at her. His conversation with Haru had revolved around his feelings for Tohru. He couldn't figure out how she had gotten the impression that he didn't want her at Shigure's house anymore from that. It took him a minute to realize that was all she had heard of his chat with Haru. Relief flooded his body. That was all? That was the reason she left? He couldn't help but smile a little, which confused her. It wouldn't be hard to clear this up and convince her to come back home. All he had to do was explain to her the rest of what he had said to Haru.

"Tohru, what do you think I meant by that? That I don't love you? That I don't care about you? Let me rephrase since you apparently didn't hear anything we said before or after that. I can't see myself with you ten years from now, because I can't see you picking me to be the person you spend the rest of your life with out of every other person in the world. You can do so much better. Because you deserve someone better than me. Because I'm not worth it. What I can't see is you choosing to be with me, not me choosing to be with you. I can see my choice. It has already been made."

Tohru stared at him, her eyes almost as large as her wide open mouth. Her brown orbs were glossed over with disbelief. It didn't seem possible for him to feel that way about her. There wasn't anyone she knew that could be better than him. There wasn't anyone else she could think of that she'd rather be with. She hardly compared to him. He was a thousand times smarter than her, and a million times better looking. He had to be kidding, but his eyes seemed to display nothing but genuine honesty. She was too shocked to say anything back.

"Tohru Honda, move back in with me. I'm begging you. Don't leave me. Don't leave me alone. I can't make it on my own. I need you, please? It's not the same without you. I love you. Come back home."

"Y-You love me?" she squeaked.

He nodded simply. Her hands rushed to her face as tears came spewing forth.

"I-I… I l-love you too…" Tohru breathed.

Before she knew it, she was encircled in Yuki's arms and her tears were soaking through his school uniform top. She trembled against his chest, feeling safer than she had in a while. Shakily, she slipped her arms around his waist, pressing her face against him tightly. Hiccupping and sniffling, she struggled to contain her tears to no avail.

For once, it didn't seem to matter to either one of them that everyone at school was watching them.

"Yuki-kun, I'm glad we're friends again."

Yuki stiffened at the words that had just drifted out of her mouth. That wasn't exactly the response he wanted. Just friends? He appreciated it, but that wasn't the type of love he wanted from her. He released her, taking a step back from her. Tohru tilted her head to the side, peering at him with a bewildered expression. The meaning of her sentence hadn't registered in her head yet.

Tohru swore she could hear Uo utter her name in exasperation. What? Had she done something wrong? Tohru quickly located her friend amongst the crowd. Uo had her forehead covered with her hand and was shaking her head back and forth. Tohru glanced back at Yuki and found his expression was quite similar. She could definitely identify disappointment in his eyes and a touch of sadness, though she wasn't sure why. Everyone else just seemed to be gawking at her in shock. One girl actually cursed her, asking her why she had just turned down the most popular guy at school.

Then it struck her.

Yuki had just told her he loved her, and she had responded with something about being friends.

From the looks of it, everyone, including Yuki, thought she was only interested in being friends with him. Whoops. Tohru wanted to fix this misinterpretation, but she forgot how to speak.

That was a quick way to destroy her fantasy. For five minutes, everything was perfect. They had both confessed their feelings, and he was embracing her, then she ruined it all. She was no longer locked in his embrace, and he thought they were just friends all over again. Guiltily, Tohru peered down at her feet. Anything coherent she had come up with in her head to try to straighten this out was lost to her now. Bits and pieces of statements had all jumbled up together, leaving her with an unintelligible mess.

Yuki thought through her words for a brief moment longer before smiling, deciding it didn't matter if she didn't love him like that. He knew she was safe, and she'd move back in with him. That was all that should matter. Besides, he was eager to get the frown off her face as soon as he could.

"Friends then," he said as he took her hand in his, leading her down the hallway, "Let's go get your things from your grandpa's."

Tohru nodded, still speechless. How could she correct him now that he had just agreed to be friends? She sighed softly as she followed him back to the classroom, so he could retrieve the things he had discarded on his desk. Why did she have to be so talented at messing up her dreams? He was right there. He had been within her reach, and she had let him slip through her fingers. It seemed so easy to clear his misinterpretation up as she thought through it, but whenever she tried to speak, no words would come forth. She was on the verge of giving up as they walked out of the classroom.

She needed time to think by herself. Whenever he was near, her brain didn't function quite well. She wanted to be able to think, but she didn't want him to leave. At the same time, she didn't want to force him along with her. Tohru wasn't getting any closer to the solution as they passed the student council room. It looked like the members were discussing something important. Yuki was the president of that little organization. He should be in there, but she was probably keeping him from doing so. If he attended the gathering, she'd have time alone to come up with some sort of strategy to correct his thinking, and he wouldn't miss his meeting. It sounded like a wonderful plan to her, so she decided to point the meeting out to him.

"Yuki-kun, don't you have a student council meeting today?"

"Yes," he replied with a shrug.

"I-I can go b-back to Grandpa's by m-myself! Y-You don't have to c-come with me if you h-have a meeting!" Tohru exclaimed.

He shrugged, "Doesn't matter. I don't want to go to the meeting anyways. I can skip one or two. Everyone else does. We don't get anything done either way. And I want to go with you, okay?"

"O-Okay…" Tohru responded softly.

She didn't press it further. There was no point in doing so. She couldn't back up a claim she wasn't fully supportive of. Screw the plan. What had she been thinking anyways? Being with Yuki was her favorite thing ever. Yuki was smart. He'd figure out her feelings sooner or later, right? She wasn't sure, but she hoped so. Her mind began to drift away from wondering if he'd discover her feelings seconds after the thought had even entered her head. It was hard to think of anything other than Yuki when he was with her. He kept his fingers intertwined with hers as he tugged her down the sidewalk to the house of her grandfather.

"How was the baby this past week? Did she give you any trouble?" Yuki inquired worriedly.

"She was very good. I hardly knew she was there! …Except she kicks more now, and it's hard to hide it now…" Tohru mumbled.

"Why would you want to hide it? I think you look cute," Yuki teased her, although he was just simply stating his thoughts.

She shook her head but smiled, knowing better than to argue with him over this again. Adorable wasn't how she felt about herself, but if he insisted she was, she wouldn't try to change his opinion, although she considered suggesting an eye exam for him. Of course, she was too timid to chaff him with her recommendation or to even fuel the conversation between them that had died seconds ago, so they continued down the sidewalk in silence. The only sound ringing in the air was the loud pounding of her heart. She was sure it was loud enough for him to hear, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't silence the beats. He tended to make her heart go haywire, and it got worse when there was nothing to distract her from focusing on their interlocked fingers, leaving her humiliated until he spoke again.

"How did your family treat you during the week you stayed there?"

"Perfectly well. Why?"

He shrugged, "I never really liked that male cousin of yours. I never bothered to learn his name, but I'm sure you know whom I'm talking about."

Tohru nodded, "But he was very polite and kind."

"Sure," Yuki agreed, but Tohru missed the sarcasm. Polite and kind wouldn't be the words he used to describe the vile man, but Tohru was the type who'd consider a rapist friendly. He didn't like that judgment of hers. It made him worry more than he would have if she had some common sense. Her perception of people was dangerous, which made him want to stay at her side constantly to make sure she didn't agree to go along with a serial killer. Actually, never leaving her side didn't sound like such a bad idea now that he thought about it, except for the fact that he might start annoying her –the ever so patient and sweet girl- with his presence.

"I…. I missed you… I-I thought about y-you a l-lot," Tohru admitted timidly.

"Good because you have no idea how much I missed you. Do you know how hard it was to go to sleep at night without knowing where you were?" Yuki asked.

"I-I'm sorry… I never thought you'd feel that way. I thought you'd be happier if I wasn't there…" Tohru mumbled.

"Never think that again, please. I think I was just short of maniacal when you left."

Tohru knew going crazy wasn't exactly a good thing, but hearing that made her smile. It surprised her to see that they were already at the doorstep to the small house of her grandfather. The last time she walked here, it seemed to take an eternity. Yuki must have knocked when she had spaced out or her grandpa had telepathic powers because the next thing she knew, the door had swung open and her grandfather stood there with a smile as he opened the screen door for them. He looked like he had been expecting both of them.

"Hello…" Yuki greeted her grandfather formally with a bow before asking, "Do you mind if I take your granddaughter back?"

Tohru instantly flushed at what Yuki had said.

"Hmm…" her grandfather pretended to think about this, "That depends on whether you're going to kick her out again or not."

Tohru cut in before Yuki could even react, "H-He didn't! It was all my decision!"

"Would you like to move back in with the young man, Tohru-chan?" her grandpa questioned her gently.

Again, Tohru blushed as both men turned to her, awaiting an answer. A verbal one seemed unnecessary as Tohru's red cheeks seemed to make her desire obvious. Her grandfather chuckled at her flushed face, making the red tint seep down her neck and across the rest of her body. He grinned good-naturedly as he stepped aside from the door to let the two of them inside. After they entered, both Tohru and Yuki stood by the entrance with her grandfather, not wanting to reveal their eagerness to go fetch her things and leave.

"Now, now, before you pack your things and run away, why don't you cook your poor old grandfather one last meal before you go?" her grandfather suggested.

"Y-Yes! Of course I will!" Tohru responded.

The old man glanced towards Yuki, "Of course your boyfriend may stay for dinner as well if he would like."

"H-He's not my b-boyfriend!" Tohru exclaimed.

It had only been intended as a humiliated proclamation, but to Yuki, it sounded as if she didn't want him to be her lover. He was saddened by that, but that didn't make his smile falter for long. Frowning would just upset Tohru, and he hated doing that. In some ways, he was glad he had told her how he felt about her, but sometimes, he wished it were still a mystery. It was a relief to have it off his chest, but he had kind of been hoping she felt the same way. The disappointment he felt was unfathomable. He couldn't have the one thing he wanted most.

"Yes, yes. Of course he isn't, dear. Now why don't you go run along to the kitchen now so we have food ready when your aunt and cousins get home?" her grandfather asked her.

"Yes! Right away!" Tohru agreed before rushing to the small kitchen.

Yuki watched her for a moment, not pleased with this. He hoped she hadn't been working this hard the whole time. He actually didn't like her working this hard anytime, but as she was pregnant now, he figured it was more important for her to relax instead of running around cooking and cleaning now. At least, she hadn't been attending work, unless Momiji's father was lying to him as well. He hated her indifference to working. He'd rather her just sit at home and focus on their baby on her studies. Her stress level would plummet if she'd obey his requests, but she hardly ever did.

"Now that Tohru isn't listening… The next time I see you, Tohru better not be crying. The only time either of you are allowed back here is if you come with a wedding invitation for me," her grandfather warned Yuki sternly.

"W-Wedding invitation?" Yuki choked out, clearly shocked.

"Yes, and I expect one soon, boy."

Yuki blinked, staring at the old man in bewilderment. He loved Tohru and would gladly propose to her if she would like him to. He already knew she was his future. Nobody else would do. No other girl compared to Tohru. She had a personality like no other, and he loved that about her. Besides, she was the first person he ever met that didn't treat him like an object. His mother used him for profit, Kyo blamed him for all his problems, and most of the girls at school –along with some boys- admired him as if he were some statue or art piece hanging in a museum. Regardless, he wasn't so sure marriage was what Tohru wanted.

"Umm…. Y-Yes sir?"

"That's a good boy. Don't disappoint me. She's Katsuya's only daughter, so I would like to see her happy."

"I'll try, but I don't think she's interested in me like that," Yuki told him.

"And here I thought you were smart…" he muttered under his breath.

"It's true. She just wants to be friends," Yuki insisted.

"You go ahead and think that, but I'm going to help Tohru-chan and set the table for her," her grandfather smiled as he wandered over to the wooden cabinet holding the ceramic plates.

Perplexed by the statement, Yuki stared at the feeble man for a moment before shaking it off. What'd he know anyways? Yuki had heard Tohru, herself, say she was glad they were friends. Friends. She hadn't said she was glad he loved her. That made it perfectly clear to him that the love she felt for him was the love between two close friends, not romantic whatsoever.

It didn't take long before three more people entered the house, and a gasp erupted within seconds after the door shut. Abruptly, there was a girl around his age with brown hair bouncing around him and introducing herself. He didn't quite bother to recollect that name she referred to herself as, only politely nodding in return. Either this woman had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or she really was trying to flirt with him. He wasn't sure what else to classify this rapid eyelash batting and too-close-for-his-comfort proximity as. Yuki would have backed away if he wasn't already leaning against the wall.

Since the curse was broken, there was no secret to hide that made him avoid girls. Now, it was just that no girl seemed to catch his attention anymore ever since Tohru entered his life. She captivated nearly every ounce of his attention, not to mention his entire heart. There wasn't much room for anyone but her even if her interest in him wasn't romantic. He'd still love her no matter what.

Tohru made her way over to the large oak table in the dining room with a large platter in her hands. She peeped around the door frame that led to the living room to call everyone over, but her words caught in her throat when she noticed her cousin flaunting her ever so short skirt and low cut shirt around Yuki. Tohru glanced down at her own frame, hurt to find a belly that seemed to get larger each day and a practically nonexistent chest. Fighting a frown, she retreated back into the dining room, starting to dish out the food onto plates.

She didn't know what she wanted to do. Yuki was supposed to love her. Hadn't he told her that today? Maybe it was her fault for not fixing his misinterpretation already. She couldn't blame him though. She wasn't very special either way. There was no reason for him to love her. She wasn't even sure why he did in the first place.

Desperate for a reason to leave this little corner of the house, Yuki began searching around the room for some sort of excuse to walk away. He instantly found Tohru in the dining room and quickly excused himself and wandered over to help her. Tohru seemed shocked by his sudden appearance and dropped the plate she had been holding up seconds ago. She was relieved to see Yuki catch it before it shattered against the floor. She had broken enough plates during her short stay here as it was. She felt no need to completely destroy every dish in the house.

Even more so, she was glad to see she hadn't gotten the chance to fill the dish up. She could only imagine the catastrophe that would have caused. There would have been food coating the carpeting and nearby furniture, and she didn't even want to consider the burns Yuki might have received. She flushed embarrassedly as he held the plate out to her.

"T-Thank you," Tohru stuttered.

"Are you all right, Tohru?"

"Yes! Of course! Why?"

"You seem a little sad… Do you not want to leave here? You don't have to if you don't wish to. I understand if you'd rather stay with your family," Yuki assured her.

"No, no, no! I want to go back with you!" Tohru insisted.

He smiled. That was a relief. Living without her was hardly bearable. He wasn't sure how he had even survived in that house with just Shigure before. The food was burnt or had a unique taste that wasn't entirely pleasant, filthy clothes piled up in the laundry room, clean clothes weren't ironed and left in clumps on the floor, dirty dishes were collecting dust in the sinks, and there was a stench clinging to the old takeout boxes loitering the kitchen top. It was starting to resemble the house they had lived in before Tohru had arrived, but that wasn't the worse part. He didn't mind the mess. It was the loneliness that he couldn't handle. Tohru had occupied such a large portion of his life, that when she left, he felt empty, void of any emotion other than desolation.

"Would you like any help?"

"No, no! That's okay. You can sit down! I'm almost ready!" Tohru told him as she gestured towards the seat by her.

"Okay, but you have to sit here," Yuki ordered, tapping on the seat beside him.

She nodded, willingly agreeing. She wouldn't have it any other way, though she'd admit she was bewildered when he pulled her down and made her sit down a second later.

"Just stay still and act natural, please," he whispered to her.

She obediently sat there, staring straight ahead with a confused expression as the rest of her family walked in. Her grandpa and her aunt sat at the ends of the table while her two cousins seated themselves across from her and Yuki. Yuki let out a soft sigh of relief, glad to see that Tohru's flirtatious cousin didn't claim a spot close to him. She sat across from Tohru with a frown across her face. Apparently, her brother had been unaware of her desire to sit by Yuki and had claimed his usual seat.

Yuki felt more than awkward during dinner. The whole conversation seemed to revolve around him and his personal life. He found it odd to speak about his clothing preference and hobbies to near complete strangers, which made him more than happy when he had finished and he and Tohru were allowed to leave to go pack her belongings away.

He found it ironic that the girl he was now trying to avoid had been sharing a room with Tohru for the past week. To his relief, she hadn't followed Tohru and him up the stairs and into the small room. Yuki kneeled on the ground with Tohru, happily helping her stuff all her things back into the two suitcases she had originally placed them in. As directed, he was currently neatly piling up her possessions inside one of her suitcases as she worked on the other. Both eager to return home, it didn't take long for the two of them to finish packing all her things. All that was left was a small pink notebook sitting on the nightstand that Tohru didn't notice.

By the color and the glittery surface of the journal, Yuki could instantly tell it was Tohru's. He reached up for it, smiling when he found the word diary neatly printed across the top. Yuki had no idea Tohru kept a diary. He could only imagine what her private thoughts were. It was the hardest thing he had ever done to not flip open the book and read at least one entry, but he didn't want her angry with him. He barely managed to keep it shut as he held it out to her.

"Is this yours, Tohru?" he asked softly.

Tohru turned around, staring at the diary with wide eyes. She quickly tore it from his arms and clutched it tightly to her chest, peering at him with almost accusing eyes. Nobody was supposed to know she kept a journal. She only left it out in the open here because she knew her cousins didn't care for her enough to bother reading about her thoughts and feelings. Yuki, on the other hand, looked very curious, and he was the last person she wanted to read this, since his name was mentioned in practically every other line.

"I didn't read it. I swear," he reassured her.

She didn't seem to relax much, still gripping onto the notebook as if she were clinging on for life.

"With you acting like that, maybe I should have read some of it. There might have been something about me in there," Yuki teased her with a grin.

"There is," Tohru admitted with a shy blush.

She might have been willing to say that, but she would never tell him how many times his name came up in there. Most of her thoughts did involve him anyways. Her other thoughts she didn't mind telling anyone about. Letting him read it might be one way to profess her feelings to him, but it most likely would make him reconsider his love for her. Even she felt a bit paranoid at the amount of time she spent thinking about him. He'd probably think of her as a pregnant stalker. Her infatuation even scared herself, the fanatic.

"Oh really now? What did you write about me?" Yuki inquired, pretending to be unfazed by this.

Maybe he shouldn't have brought up her mentioning him in her writings. Now he was tempted to rip that diary out of her hands and read it. The worst part was that he knew he was perfectly capable of doing that. It would be almost too easy, but fighting with a pregnant woman would just be cruel. Yuki was nearly sitting on his hands to keep himself from stealing her notebook. It was such a tempting idea to find out what she honestly thought about him.

"Nothing!" Tohru cried, denying it now.

"Liar. You just said you wrote something about me a minute ago. Now I really want to see what you wrote," Yuki told her seriously.

Tohru shook her head vehemently, sending her hair in cascading waves around her face. He loved her as of now, and she didn't want that to change just because he found out about her obsession with him from a few diary entries. Loving someone wholeheartedly and not noticing any other guys was one thing, but once that was stretched to the point where he was the center of her personal universe, and there wasn't a day that passed without her thinking about him just might scare him off. There was no doubt in her mind that Yuki wasn't this head over heels in love with her.

"Please? I won't comment. I promise?" he vowed.

"N-No!" Tohru squeaked.

"Why? Is it bad? Did you write you hate me?" he asked, reaching for it.

"No! I w-would never write t-that!" Tohru stuttered.

Yuki smiled, laughing softly under his breath. If it wasn't something terrible like that, he didn't know what in the world she was trying to keep from him. Regardless, he wasn't sure why she was putting all this effort into keeping her writings a secret from him. Didn't she know nothing she could possibly think would ever change his feelings about her? He doubted that's what concerned her though. Why would she worry about his changing his mind about loving her if she didn't feel the same way back? She was probably concerned over losing his friendship, he decided after securitizing her expression.

"Then what don't you want me to know?"

"What's in here," Tohru replied, squeezing the journal tighter in her arms.

"How come? I won't get mad," he promised.

"T-That's not what I'm worried about!"

"You're silly. Let me see," he requested.

She shook her head again determinedly. It amused him to see how seriously she was taking this while he was just teasing her. He honestly did want to read it, but he'd never force her to do something she didn't want to do. She didn't seem to be aware of that, he learned as she scooted away from him as he came near her. Guarding her diary protectively, she continued to do so as he inched closer to her. She was so absorbed in keeping her journal away from him, she didn't even know her suitcase was behind her until she had accidentally bumped into it and toppled over on top of it.

Her cheeks flushed as she scrambled back into a sitting position. She glanced around frantically, searching for what was once in her now empty arms. Tohru located the pink diary across the room. It had landed on the floor by the door with her writing facing upwards for all who passed to see.

"Tohru, are you hurt?" Yuki asked her worriedly.

"I-I'm fine!"

He followed her gaze to her diary and shook his head.

"Stop worrying, Tohru. I was only kidding. I wouldn't read something you don't want me to," Yuki told her, "I told you I love you, and I meant it. I respect your wishes and would never ever do something that'd hurt you."

Tohru stared at him, shocked into silence. She might have worked up the courage to confess to him the same thing and fix this mishap, but all her thinking ceased when she realized how close he was to her. If she moved the slightest bit forward her lips would be against his, and that's exactly what happened. Except, she didn't move. The kiss was soft, gentle, and over a second after she closed her eyes. She peered up at him with a confused expression when he pulled away, too soon for her own tastes. The kiss, short as it was, had left her breathless and aching for more, but Yuki didn't seem to notice. He seemed too upset, too guilty. As far as he was concerned, Tohru didn't want to be kissed by him. He couldn't even see the fact that she had unintentionally leaned forward after he broke the kiss.

"I'm sorry… I… I couldn't help it…. You… You just looked so beautiful just then… Again, I'm sorry. It's probably just awkward for you. It's fine if you don't think we can be friends anymore…"

"Yuki-kun, I-I… I didn't mind…. I love you too," she murmured.

"I know. Just not the same way I do. Friends. I know."

"No, I mean… I really l-love you," Tohru stammered.

He ruffled her hair. Tohru squeaked and flopped onto her back, hoping to save her hair from transforming into a puffy disarray. She hesitantly raked her fingers through her hair, grimacing as she fingered the tangled mess. Unlike him, she was positive she couldn't pull off a bed head and still look attractive. He laughed at her reaction, which made her assume she looked even worse than she had thought. She gave up trying to comb through her locks and sighed.

"Tohru, you don't have to say that. It's not your fault if you don't feel that way about me. Don't worry about me," he smiled.

Tohru looked down. He completely missed her whole point. She really wished she had just kept her mouth shut at school. Things could have been a lot simpler that way.

"Come on, Tohru. Let's get going. It's already dark outside," Yuki pointed out as he stood up, taking her luggage with him.

Tohru nodded as she hopped to her feet, scurrying ahead of him to pick up her pink journal before he could catch a word written in it. Yuki shook his head with a chuckle as she rushed to open the door for him as well. He was glad she wasn't holding onto her things as she skipped down the stairs to say her farewells. She would have seriously injured herself if she were. He stood by the stairs as he watched her hug her grandfather and formally bow to the rest of her family. She was obviously only really familiar with her grandfather. He walked over to her when she seemed to be done, but when he got there, he was bluntly directed to the door.

"Wait outside a moment, son. I need to speak to my granddaughter in private for a few minutes," her grandfather told him.

Yuki nodded and obeyed, trotting toward the door with her luggage gripped in his hands. Tohru peered at him, watching Yuki exit with a frown. She felt guilty for making him carrying her things. She knew from experience that those suitcases weren't exactly light. Everything she owned had been stuffed inside. Tohru had completely forgotten where she was until her grandfather cleared his throat. She turned back to her grandpa with a confused expression. What did he have to tell her that he didn't want Yuki to hear? Whatever it was, it was making her extremely nervous.

"Now, Tohru-chan, I don't want you to come back here…" he started seriously.  
"I'm sorry Grandpa… I shouldn't have b-bothered you!" Tohru apologized frantically.

"I'll forgive you, but you have to make me the first person you'll tell when you get engaged to your boyfriend," her grandfather said to her with a wink.

"E-Engaged?" Tohru squeaked.

It seemed all her blood rushed to her face as she heard those words. Yuki had confessed, sure, but she had ruined the possibility of anything happening between them with a statement about their friendship. There was nothing between them as of now besides unspoken love, which even she, whom his affection was directed towards, found hard to identify –until he kissed her that is. Her grandfather hadn't seen that kiss, so she didn't understand how her grandfather came to the conclusion that she would get engaged to Yuki soon.

Her grandpa nodded, "Don't worry. You don't have to invite your aunt or cousins to your wedding if you'd rather not, but I would like to be there."

"B-But Yuki-kun and I are just friends!" Tohru peeped.

"If you don't love him then I'm not your grandfather," her grandpa scoffed.

"Eh? You're not my grandpa?"

Tohru gazed at her grandfather in complete shock. Never in her life had anyone ever told her that this man before her wasn't related to her. As she stared in bemusement, her grandfather peered back in disbelief. Before this moment, he hadn't thought it was possible to misinterpret those words. He was speechless for a moment. He wasn't sure what the simplest way to explain what he meant to her was, but he could tell that she was honestly perplexed by his statement.

"… No… Tohru-chan, I am your grandpa… I just meant that you love this boy… So clear things up with him. I want you to marry the boy before I leave this earth."

"You're leaving? When?"

"It's only a matter of time, Tohru, and I want to be sure to see you get married before I leave."

"But don't they have flights back from the moon?"

"What?"

"Didn't you say you were leaving the earth? You're going to the moon, right?"

Her grandfather fought the urge to gawk at her and replaced it with a smile. He wasn't sure which of her misinterpretations were worse, but he chose to stop using double entendres before she sauntered off from the house believing that some man she believed to be her grandfather would soon be leaving for the moon. He placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a friendly squeeze. Tohru cocked her head to the side obliviously in response with an innocent smile.

"Tohru-chan…. Never mind. You'll marry him. I know."

"I-I hope so…" Tohru whispered.

"Don't fret. A grandfather always knows," he laughed, "Now you should get going before he thinks you've decided against leaving."

"Thank you, grandpa," Tohru beamed before hurrying out the door.

Her smile seemed to widen at the sight of Yuki, and he just seemed relived to see her. He stood up from leaning against the brick wall of the house and picked up her suitcases again, refusing to let her carry one of them even when she offered. She was pregnant, and he knew walking at this point was a bit troublesome for her since her feet now had to support extra weight they weren't used to. She didn't complain, but he noticed the slight swelling of her ankles back when they were packing. Tohru didn't seem to pay any mind to them, and he knew walking would help, so he didn't point it out, seeing as it'd just make her more self-conscious.

Yuki paused suddenly, setting her suitcases down on the porch for a moment as he reached for something in his pocket. Tohru peered at him, baffled by his actions. He simply smiled as he handed her the hair ribbon she had lost. She gasped when she saw it, taking it into her hands with a grin. Despite the brown splotches dotting it, she tied it into her hair happily. She had been looking for it ever since she left. It had always been her favorite hair accessory.

"Ready to return home?" Yuki asked her, taking her luggage back into his hands.

"Yes… I want to go home."

"Good because everyone –even Shigure- missed you. But no one missed you more than I did," Yuki told her honestly.

She looked down with a blush as they both started back to Shigure's house. Glancing back at the brick house behind her, she realized that wasn't her home, just simply a house where her extended family lived. Her home was with Yuki, Shigure, and Kyo in the old-fashioned house in the middle of the forest and she was more than joyous to be able to return there.


	24. Week 24

It's strange how one single kiss could change everything. Suddenly, awkwardness fills the void that comfort used to occupy, and blushes never seem to fade. It's odd how total relationships could be rewound after just a confession and a kiss. A kiss was a simple gesture, really. Just the quick contact between two pairs of lips, but that brief touch cannot be underestimated because it is omnipotent. It has the power to destroy or to create. Tohru just hoped, in her case, it would bring her and Yuki closer one day when she was able to profess her feelings to him in a manner that couldn't be misinterpreted.

This is what she was pondering over as she lay in her bed, counting the kicks of the baby. She had been instructed to do so by her obstetrician and was being an obedient patient. She didn't want a single thing to go wrong with her pregnancy. Her baby had to come out safely, and she would do everything in her power to make sure that happened, including counting her daughter's kicks once everyday to make sure she was all right. She was around seven when she heard her door open.

"Tohruuuuuu!" Momiji hollered, storming into Tohru's room unannounced.

Tohru shrieked and shot up in bed. She stared at Momiji with wide eyes for a moment, breathing heavily, before managing to relax. It had been quiet all morning. Momiji's sudden entrance surprised her with all the commotion he had made, but Momiji seemed upset over the fact that she had screamed in response to his greeting. His grin had faded, and his mouth was slowly turning downwards at the edges. She flushed, apologizing for getting scared. She hadn't meant to give Momiji the impression that he was scary.

"Momji, I think you're going to give her a heart attack," Haru stated calmly, stepping into the room beside Momiji.

"How's Yukiru-chan?" Momiji asked Tohru excitedly, ignoring Haru completely.

"Y-Yukiru?" Tohru asked, confused.

"The baby! Yuki plus Tohru equals Yukiru!" Momiji explained.

Tohru smiled at the little nickname Momiji had given her daughter. It was very endearing and sweet, and it reminded her that she and Yuki had yet to name their daughter. They hadn't discussed it yet. Actually they hadn't talked much about anything in the past week. He still helped her with her homework, of course, but any conversation there not related to their studies had ceased to exist. It was like she had just met him and was struggling to gain his trust again, except now she knew he loved her, and he was pretending he didn't for her sake. In his head, she still didn't love him romantically.

"Oh… She's doing well. She's eleven inches now and almost two pounds! Yuki-kun came with me to the doctor today," Tohru smiled, touching her stomach gingerly.

"Wow!" Momiji exclaimed, "She kicks lots now, right?"

As soon as Tohru nodded Momiji flew down to her side and pressed his cheek right against Tohru's belly only to have a tiny foot kick him directly in the head. Tohru's brown eyes widened in shock after the little bulge retreated. Her hands flew to her abdomen, and she scowled at her midriff, as if her baby could see and would learn her lesson for kicking Momiji. Unlike Tohru, Momiji wasn't bothered by this at all. He fell back onto the floor in a fit of laughter and rolled around on the carpet for a moment, still in hysterics when he regained his balance.

"I'm sorry, Momiji-kun! Are you o-okay?" Tohru squeaked worriedly.

"Yep!" Momiji laughed, "It didn't hurt at all!"

"She's fussy around now…" Tohru murmured, keeping her hands locked around her stomach warily. Knowing firsthand what it was like to be kicked, she didn't want anyone else to get attacked by her daughter. Tohru didn't even want to count how many times her baby hit her in a day, but she could never blame her daughter for that. It wasn't her fault that she was stuck in Tohru's uterus and had no room to squirm about. Tohru winced slightly as the baby struck her lung. It relieved her to see that her daughter was active, meaning she was healthy, but her organs were suffering from the beatings. They were already squished by the presence of the baby, so she didn't need them to be harmed as well.

Momiji waved off Tohru's guilty look and changed the topic eagerly, "So what's going on between you and Yuki?"

Tohru frowned, "Nothing."

"What do you mean by that, Tohru? Didn't Yuki tell you he loves you last week? That's what I heard! But I couldn't see because I was sick!" Momiji whined.

"And I ditched that day, but I heard all about it. Everyone was talking about it for a while, but I'm sure you already knew that. We didn't know what to believe, so we decided to come ask you," Haru continued with a nod.

Tohru's cheeks flushed. Of course she had heard the rumors. About every girl at school was accusing her of witchcraft nowadays, or they suspected that Yuki had gone insane, not that that troubled him at all. It bothered her to hear the insults directed at Yuki though. The gossip about her didn't affect her too much anymore. She was used to it, but before last week, she had only heard students say positive things about Yuki, except for that time when Yuki had confessed to being the father of her child -people were split then. However, most girls still loved Yuki, regardless of his feelings for her. They just simply decided to hate Tohru more. She was even sure there was a club dedicated to the hatred of her now.

"Umm… He did…" Tohru admitted softly.

"Don't you love him?"

Tohru nodded shyly. She hated discussing this. Everybody had been questioning her feelings for Yuki a lot lately, and she didn't like it. She hadn't minded answering her friends' questions at first, but after a couple of days of nonstop pestering, she found herself more and more reluctant to answer. Her feelings were her own business and also Yuki's, but he was still convinced that she didn't truly love him. This subject shouldn't have to be broadcasted across the school everyday.

"Then why is nothing going on…?"

She sighed. She hated explaining this part the most, but luckily most people knew this side of the story already. So far, this was her third time explaining her mistake, which wasn't nearly as high as her count for the questioning of her affection for Yuki. Only Shigure and Ayame had asked her about this before Momiji and Haru. Nevertheless, with all this experience with telling this tale, it never seemed to get any easier. She fiddled with her fingers, prolonging the silence shortly before sighing and looking up at the two curious teenagers in her room.

"Because I told him I'm glad we're still friends… He thinks I love him like a brother…. Didn't you hear that too?" Tohru inquired disappointedly.

"Nope. I don't think anyone could get over what Yuki said…. A lot of girls were crying…" Haru replied.

"Aren't you going to correct him?" Momiji asked.

Tohru shook her head, "Not now. I'm scared."

"But he kissed you…. And you know he loves you. Why are you scared, Tohru?" Momiji asked, cocking his head to the side.

Tohru didn't respond. Honestly, she wasn't sure how to explain her fear. She knew to everyone else her confession seemed to be too easy. All she had to do was tell him three small words, right? But she did try that approach, and it didn't blow over well at all. It would be too easy for her, being the klutz she was, to make a fool of herself and fail in an attempt to clear this up for the second time. She had already messed up her confession more than once, and she didn't feel compelled to set the record for most misunderstood confessions. This time, she wanted to think things through and carefully set up a plan to make sure he actually understood her feelings instead of assuming her love for him was familial love.

"He kissed you and you didn't tell him how you feel?" Haru questioned in disbelief.

"I tried, but he didn't believe me. He thought I was trying to make him feel better," Tohru said, wrinkling her nose in frustration.

"Maybe you need to try a different approach."

She looked up curiously at Haru. Tohru was eager to hear a new perspective on how to go about convincing Yuki of her feelings, seeing as she was failing at coming up with a better plan on her own. Peering at Haru, she got the feeling that she had just missed the meaning of his words. He was looking back at her expectantly, awaiting her approval.

"What do you mean?" Tohru pressed.

"He kissed you…. So why don't you return the favor?" Haru suggested.

Tohru's eyes bulged, ready to jump out of their sockets. She shook her head vehemently. She couldn't believe Haru had seriously suggested that to her, the most bashful girl in the entire universe. Just the thought sent blood rushing to her cheeks. Yuki was a good kisser, and she had enjoyed the kiss from last week very much, but she doubted she could pull it off. She'd probably trip over his foot or something and break her nose. Besides, she had a feeling Yuki just might interpret her kiss as another action of pity. She didn't think she could do it anyways.

"I can't do that!" Tohru squealed.

"You can't or you don't want to?"

"I _c-can't. _K-Kiss Yuki-kun? I mean… Yuki-kun? I can't do that…" Tohru repeated shyly.

"Sure you can. All you have to do is press your lips against his," Haru urged her, leaning close to her as if to demonstrate.

Flushing, Tohru leaned away from Haru in embarrassment.

"I ca-can't!"

"Why not? You already know he'll like it. He already told you he loves you, and he kissed you. He wouldn't have kissed you if he didn't want to, now would he?"

"Yuki-kun is sleeping!" Tohru choked out a last minute resort.

At least, Yuki was sleeping the last time she had checked. He had awoken at six in the morning to go with her to the doctor even though she had insisted that he didn't have to go. He went anyways, telling her something about wanting to go with her. She should have known better than to have argued with him. Tohru appreciated his presence there. He made the visits to the obstetrician less terrifying, although she'd never tell him. She didn't want to make him feel obligated to come, but she had a feeling he knew anyways. He went with her to every appointment, regardless of how early –though he tended to sleep in the waiting room.

Apparently, Yuki's rest wasn't a good enough excuse to delay her confession.

"It's three in the afternoon, Tohru. Go wake him."

"B-but -"

"You both are getting on _my_ nerves. Go do it now. You've already made him wait a week," Haru reminded her.

"Hatsuharu-san, I-I-" Tohru stuttered.

"He told you that he loved you in front of the whole school, I think you should be able to tell him…" he glanced over at Momiji's excited face before adding, "in front of just me and Momiji."

Both he and Momiji stood up at that moment and dragged her off the bed. Forcibly, they took her to Yuki's room, opened the door, threw her in, and shut the door behind her. Tohru stumbled inside, partially disappointed to find Yuki awake. She had been hoping he was still napping, so she wouldn't have to do anything, but he was clearly awake, working on something at his desk. He immediately turned to face her with a curious smile. Tohru averted his eyes and hesitated by the door, leaning against it for support as she attempted to find her voice.

"Tohru? Do you need something?" Yuki asked politely.

"I-I-" Tohru stammered embarrassedly.

"Are you all right, Tohru? You didn't scream because someone hurt you earlier, right? I thought Momiji scared you, so I didn't find it necessary to disturb you… You're not feeling ill, are you?" Yuki inquired worriedly.

"N-No… I…I j-just wanted you to k-know that I l-lov- I…" Tohru stuttered, failing miserably to get the rest of her words out.

Yuki stood up, concern splattered across his face. Tohru nervously played with the hem of her shirt for a minute and bit the bottom of her lip. They were both silent for a moment as Tohru tried to straighten out her scattered thoughts. With a determined huff, she balled her hands into fists and forced her face upwards to look at Yuki. Her steps started out strong and filled with courage, but as they progressed and she got closer to Yuki, the shakier her walking grew. Tohru was trembling by the time she stood before him, still at a loss for words. She swallowed apprehensively but managed to open her mouth. Petrified silent, Tohru stared at him, her mouth still hanging open as she struggled to say something.

After a minute of no success, she shut her mouth and stared at her feet. She had failed already. Either way, she was sure he wouldn't have believed her like last time. Peeking up at Yuki, Haru's advice struck her. _Why don't you return the favor? _It had seemed like such a good solution to her vocal issues at the moment that she hardly thought through what it'd involve until after she had got on the tips of her toes and brushed her lips against his. A second later, she gasped and dropped back down on her heels, flustered and embarrassed. Yuki subconsciously leaned forward a bit, craving for more, but he managed to stop before he made contact with her.

"What was that for…?" Yuki breathed, bewildered by her actions.

"I-Iloveyoutoo!" Tohru blurted out in a rush.

Yuki peered incredulously at her. It took him a second to decipher the statement and separate it back into the three words it was supposed to come out as. She loved him?

"W-What?" Yuki asked, not sure if he had decoded her words correctly.

"I… I love you too…" Tohru repeated a bit slower than before. She sucked in a deep breath, praying he would understand this time. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle another misunderstanding.

Yuki compared the confession with her rosy cheeks, wondering why she was embarrassed. She had already told him that twice if he recalled correctly. That was surely enough to make him understand her feelings. He knew she felt some affection towards him, just in a familial manner, but that kiss didn't coincide with her feelings nor was it what he had expected from her. Tohru wouldn't be able to do something like that if her life depended on it. She must have been extremely desperate to cheer him up, which meant he was failing at upholding his masquerade of happiness. He thought he had been feigning satisfaction well, but maybe she had seen through his false smiles all along.

He took another look at her red face. That kiss and her blush didn't make sense. There was no reason for her timidity. Unless she was actually in love with him. His cheeks darkened ever so slightly, contrasting with his usually pale skin, at the thought. It didn't take much time for a surge of happiness to flood his body as her confession repeated itself in his head for a moment. His heart thumped excitedly, lurching rapidly, easily accepting her words, but his brain, on the other hand, felt compelled to remain skeptical. If she loved him as she claimed, then why had she insisted they were friends after telling him the exact same words a week ago?

"Wait… You love me as in you want to be my girlfriend or-"

"Gi-Girlfriend?" Tohru sputtered, interrupting him as she stared in shock.

"Guess not. Never mind."

"No! I mean… I- Your girlfriend? B-But I'm not…"

He put his fingers over her lips, "Just say yes or no. Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Yuki anxiously removed his fingers from her lips, terrified to hear her answer. Yuki stared into her large brown eyes, praying for acceptance. He wasn't sure he would be able to handle a declination from her. He hadn't meant to, but he had been hoping each second of the past week that she'd change her mind about their state as friends, but she never did, and disappointment ate away at him slowly, letting hope heal him each time before striking again. It was an endless process, and he hadn't gotten the chance to mend his heart this time. A refusal would hurt him beyond repair.

"Ye-Yes!" Tohru squeaked.

He grinned, more relieved than he thought possible. His heart raced triumphantly as the rest of his dubious thoughts faded, replaced by an unfathomable amount of euphoria. Too ecstatic to contain himself, he instantly swept her into his arms, disregarding her squeals of embarrassment as he crushed her against his chest. Tohru giggled, clutching him tightly as he pressed his face against her neck. He kissed her there a couple of times before he set her back on her feet, still beaming.

"You're happy about that?" she inquired in disbelief.

"Of course."

Yuki cupped her chin in his fingers, pulling her lips back to his. Tohru wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on the tips of her toes and holding herself as close to him as she could with her growing belly. She shut her eyes, letting him ravish her lips with gentle kisses. He broke the kiss after a minute, letting them both breathe. Yuki smiled, watching her face light up with a scarlet taint as he planted a kiss on the tip of her nose.

"You're so red. I don't think that's very healthy," Yuki laughed, touching her cheek with the back of his hand.

She looked down, slipping out of his embrace timidly. Her heart pounded loudly, an obvious enough clue as to how bashful she was. Tohru could only imagine how close to crimson the shade of red across her cheeks was. She didn't dare take a peek at the small mirror Yuki had in his room. She felt she'd be better off not knowing how closely she resembled a tomato. Regardless, with one look in his eyes, she could tell he was enjoying the broad color range of her cheeks a lot more than she was. She'd much rather be the collected one. He seemed to having more fun than she was at the moment. Tohru covered her cheeks with both her hands, seeing as he refused to look away to let her cheeks return to their normal color.

"Don't be embarrassed. It's adorable."

Yuki wrapped his fingers around her wrists, sliding them off of her face. He chuckled as she fought to keep her hands where they were. She was unsuccessful and quickly gave up, grimacing slightly as her hands left her cheeks. Tohru was positive her skin was even darker than before, if that was possible. He laughed softly, leaning forward to give her another kiss, but he froze when he heard soft shuffling outside of his door. Yuki shifted his eyes over to his shut door suspiciously. Confused, Tohru blinked, following his gaze although not quite sure what she was looking at.

Suddenly, Momiji's laughter flooded the room.

"Momiji! Shut up! They're going to hear you!" Haru hissed angrily.

"No! They're going to hear you!" Momiji retorted.

"You're yelling!"

Yuki and Tohru both stared at the door, both equally humiliated to find that everything they had just said that was meant only for each other's ears had been heard by two others. Tohru gazed helplessly at Yuki with a horrified expression, praying she was hearing things, but he peered back at her with an irritated look that confirmed what she thought she had heard. Tohru gripped Yuki's fingers tightly as the quarrel between Momiji and Haru continued. She should have known Haru and Momiji would have been standing out there with their ears pressed against the door. They had told her she should be able to confess to Yuki in front of them after all.

"We can hear both of you," Yuki announced to them.

Yuki rolled his eyes at the door, tempted to open it and kick both of his cousins for eavesdropping, but that'd ruin his perfectly pleasant mood. He squeezed Tohru's hands, waiting to hear their retreating steps. He could see Tohru felt terrible at the moment. Hints of guilt resided in the back of her eyes, sitting next to humiliation. There was a speck of happiness, incomparable to the amount he had seen a minute ago though. Yuki caressed her cheek with the tips of his fingers, making her feel a little bit more comforted but not enough to please him. He tugged at her hand, getting her to take a seat on his bed with him. Playing with her fingers, he was silent for a second, thinking of ways to take her mind off of what Haru and Momiji probably heard.

Settling with the idea of asking a question, he inquired, "How long have you loved me?"

"A long time…" Tohru breathed shyly.

"Before this?" he asked, putting his hand on her belly.

Tohru nodded, "Long before that…"

"Me too… Can I ask you something?"

"Of course! What is it?"

Yuki lifted his legs onto his bed, sitting cross legged and facing her directly now. He paused, gazing in her eyes seriously. Tohru shifted in her spot, suddenly self-conscious. Nervously, she raked her fingers through her brown locks, idly twisting the strands around her fingers as she awaited his question. His silence was making her anxious. She couldn't even handle looking in his eyes anymore. Chewing on her bottom lip, she peeked up at him, worried to see his face downcast and forlorn. She wrapped her tiny hands around his in attempt to cheer him up in vain.

"Why didn't you tell me how you felt earlier if you knew you loved me too? Why did you wait a week before telling me?" he questioned in a quiet voice.

Tohru looked down shyly, afraid of how he'd react to how silly her reasoning was. The delay probably seemed pointless to him, but she had needed the time to gather her scattered thoughts and steady her overjoyed heart. Neither of which she wanted him to know. It would only exemplify the effect he had on her. He didn't need to know it had practically taken her a week to stop secretly jumping up and down out of joy in her room because he had confessed to her. The first few days, she had even considered it having been a dream, but her friends made an effort to bring it up every time she saw them. She had definitely needed the past week to actually accept the fact that he loved her and to start acting rationally again.

"Y-You never listened to me… A-And I was sc-scared," Tohru finally told him.

"Of what? I don't bite you. I'm not mean to you, am I?"

"No, no! Not at all! I-I just… I was e-embarrassed. I couldn't d-do it."

"So you wouldn't have said a thing and let me be sad for the rest of my life if Haru and Momiji hadn't made you do it?"

"N-No! I would have… I would have told you… It just may have taken a little longer…" Tohru admitted.

Yuki buried his face in his hands and shook his head at her. Tohru gasped softly, wondering what she had said wrong. She put her hand on his shoulder fretfully, praying he wasn't mad at her. He let out a low groan before he looked up at her and shot her a disbelieving look, raising his eyebrows at her incredulously. Yuki wasn't sure what he would have done if she had actually taken longer to profess her feelings to him. He had been completely miserable the past week, convinced he had ruined the friendship they had already established. Yuki had moped around most of the time he was awake, and she had considered taking longer than she did.

"Don't tell me that," he frowned, "Seven days was already too long to bear…. But I forgive you since I bet you can't even imagine how happy you've made me."

"Is it anywhere close to how happy I am?" Tohru asked.

"Definitely not!" he scoffed with a smile, "You're nowhere close to how ecstatic I am."

Tohru beamed as he enveloped her in his arms, embracing her tightly in his hold. She closed her eyes, resting her face on his chest, completely at peace. She missed being held like this. Yuki had carefully avoided touching her very much the whole past week, not wanting to cross the boundaries between friend and lover, she assumed, but she wanted him to hold her like this more than anything. It was a bit awkward, she'd admit, with the baby sitting in her stomach between them, but she didn't mind until their daughter decided now was the perfect time to start kicking again. She was sure Yuki could feel it. Tohru glanced up at Yuki's grinning face before peering down at her belly, where her belligerent daughter was now resting motionlessly. He chuckled, drawing her back into his arms and pressing his lips against her cheeks.

Abruptly, the door swung open with a thud, loudly hitting the wall. Shigure stood in the doorway, slapping his hands over his cheeks as he gasped, "Just because my little flower admits to liking you doesn't mean you can violate her and get away with it!"

Yuki grimaced, seething angrily, "Get. Out. Of. My. Room. Shigure."

Yuki glared at Shigure, emphasizing each word separately. He pointed at the door stiffly, demanding that Shigure leave. There were three people Yuki wanted dead at the moment. Shigure, for disrupting Tohru and him, Momiji, and Haru, both of which probably were the ones who informed Shigure of the fact that Tohru had even told him that she loved him. As if they could hear his thoughts, Momiji and Haru stuck both of their heads into the doorway, both smiling sheepishly. Yuki reached for the nearest object –which turned out to be a textbook lying on his bed- and flung it at the door, missing their heads by a millimeter. They both gave him apologetic looks before fleeing down the hallway to save themselves from some bruises.

Not even bothering to see who Yuki had just thrown his book at, Shigure grinned wickedly, "Oh right. Never mind. You already violated my little flower."

Tohru flushed, burying her face in Yuki's shirt embarrassedly. She didn't understand why Shigure felt obligated to bring that up every day. She found it completely unnecessary and just a source of humiliation, but then again, Shigure had a strange fascination with toying with her emotions. Yuki gingerly stroked her back in a soothing manner, getting her to relax a bit as he glowered malevolently at Shigure. In response, Shigure simply started to snicker.

"Shigure… Just so you know, I'm going to poison your food today or choke you to death later," Yuki warned with an innocent smile, releasing Tohru for a minute only to shove Shigure out of his room.

He immediately slid back into Tohru's embrace, "Can I kill them, please? Pretty please? Promise me you won't get mad? It'll be a lot quieter without them around. Please?"

Tohru laughed and shook her head back and forth in refusal, "Don't."


	25. Week 25

Tohru stared blankly ahead, seeing none of the words written on the chalkboard in the front of the room and hearing none of the lecture Mayu was currently giving. She was off in a world she was very familiar with, dreamland. There she was doing better in school than she was here, and she wasn't the pregnant girl at school that everyone whispered about behind her back. She was off somewhere with her newly acquired boyfriend on the first date they were yet to take.

Yuki had promised to take her out on their first _date _today after school, if it could even be called that. They were going to go shopping for clothes for the baby. It wasn't anything romantic, but she'd rather be there at the moment, and with one hour left until the end of school, she could hardly focus.

"Clear your desks… Test time," Mayu announced, gazing directly at Tohru.

Tohru gasped in shock and jumped slightly in her seat. Her eyebrows contorted with concern, and the color drained from her face as her pencil toppled off of her desk. She wasn't ready to take a test.

"EH? Test?!" Tohru squeaked.

"Yes Honda-san. We've been discussing and preparing for this test this whole class period."

"Tohru, you'll do fine," Yuki reassured her. His desk was already clear –if it even had anything on top of it before. He was obviously ready, but she wasn't.

"B-but I didn't study! I d-didn't look over my no-notes! I wasn't even p-paying at-attention to the review and-"

He cut her off with a quick peck on the lips. Though it did little to calm her nerves, it accomplished what he had intended it to, she was stunned silent, along with the rest of the class who were only accustomed to handholding being the only evidence that they were going out. Tohru gasped softly, her face darkening with each passing second as more and more of her classmates turned to face her and mutter things to one another. She didn't want to know what they were saying. It was bad enough that they had seen. Luckily, the class silenced down as Mayu stepped forward with tests in hand.

"You'll do fine. I know you will. You practically answered all the questions on the homework without my help. You'll do fine," he repeated more firmly.

Tohru swallowed nervously and kept silent. The tests were being handed out. She was making an attempt to visualize her notes in her head and do a bit of reviewing before Mayu reached her desk, but it wasn't going so well. She could only remember bits and pieces that hardly made sense, but as soon as a test was placed in front of her, all her grasping on the little sense she had remembered vanished. She frowned and stared at the test hopelessly.

Yuki glanced at her and took her hand in his instantly. He gave it a comforting squeeze and picked up his pencil with his other hand. He kept his fingers wrapped around her hand as he started his test. She didn't fail to notice that he was writing with his left hand when he usually wrote with his right hand. Of course, he'd be ambidextrous. Still, he was probably more comfortable using his right hand, but because she was such a child, he had to keep his right hand around her left one so she wouldn't freak out. She smiled at the gesture and gripped his fingers gently, letting him know how much she appreciated it. He didn't say anything, but she could see the corners of his mouth curve up in a smile. She took a deep breath and picked up her pencil, ready as she'd ever be.

Throughout the test, whenever she got stuck and struggled, she could feel him rub her hand to calm her down. By the time she finished, she was more than relieved. As soon as her pencil was tossed aside on top of her desk and she leaned back in her seat, his fingers unwound from hers. He stood up and turned in his test, taking hers with him.

Tohru knew he had been finished quite a while ago, but he hadn't gone up to turn in his test, most likely too afraid to release her hand and do so. She wasn't sure she would have made it through without all of his help.

She was smiling when he came back.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked as he reseated himself.

"No, thanks to you," she whispered.

"I didn't do anything."

"You studied with me all week… for over an hour each time. That's nothing?" Tohru questioned, perplexed.

"You studied. I sat there, watched, and distracted you," he corrected her with a grin.

Tohru smiled but shook her head, disagreeing with him. He had distracted her once in a while with his periodic kisses and whatnot, but if he had not been there, doing her homework would have been a wasted effort. Yuki opened his mouth to add another comment, but he was silenced by a hiss from Mayu. He looked up, finding her finger to her lips, signaling him and Tohru to stop talking. She pointed to an assignment she had written on the board before returning to grading the tests.

Both obeyed and took out their textbooks, but only Tohru started the work. Yuki sat there, staring at the clock. There were a mere five minutes until school was over. He saw no point in answering the first question then packing up, but he didn't mind sitting there though. Watching Tohru concentrate on the worksheet amused him. She looked adorable when she was confused, chewing her pencil eraser and frowning at the question.

Tohru had only filled out the first question halfway when the bell rung. Yuki stood instantly and helped her pack her things away before he kissed her on the cheek and bid her farewell, promising to find her after he copied some papers for Mayu. The red-faced brunette looked down embarrassedly after he left. She clutched her backpack closely to herself, remaining in her seat nervously as she tried to ignore the glares she was receiving from every female occupant of the room, with the exception of her two friends.

Yuki had asked her out a week ago, and he hardly tried to keep that a secret from anyone. Unlike her, he didn't have a problem about fussing over who was watching or what they were thinking whenever classmates saw them holding hands or kissing. She did, however. She was the ones they glowered at or insulted when their jealously became too much. No fan girl ever bothered Yuki with her trifle complaints. Everyone knew his response. He had no problem reminding them of his love for Tohru, unlike Tohru, who couldn't even talk to her friends about her new relationship.

They never seemed bored with whatever Tohru had to say about her and Yuki, even when she repeated things. Regardless, they were lucky if they even were able to convince her to talk about Yuki. Tohru never liked their questions. Regardless, she did appreciate all they did for her. Without them, she probably would never have been able to leave the classroom. She had never been one who dealt with humiliation well. Tohru couldn't move until the three of them and Mayu were the last ones in the room, and it took her friends' glares to send the other students on their way.

However, in the situation she was thrust with as soon as she stepped out the door, she instantly wished she was back inside the classroom with the fan girls throwing her dirty looks. Of all topics her friends had to chose, they had to pick the most embarrassing of all.

"So where has he kissed you?" Uo asked Tohru curiously while winking at her.

Tohru flushed, "Ah… Umm…"

Too impatient to await Tohru's response, Uo poked Tohru on the cheek, "Has he kissed you here?"

Tohru's face burned red, but she nodded. Uo's finger slid down to her neck, "Here?"

Again, Tohru nodded, redder than before. She couldn't lie if she tried. Even if she did shake her head in denial, the blush across her cheeks would have revealed the truth. As much as she loved talking to her friends, there were certain subjects she'd rather keep between herself and Yuki. Talking about kissing definitely wasn't something she wanted to share with her two best friends. Anything else, she'd tell them about. Uo didn't seem to understand Tohru's wish for privacy. Her questions just seemed to get more personal.

Uo put her finger on Tohru's lips, "And of course, here."

"Arisa, that would be quite enough. Her sex life with the prince is nobody's business but hers and the prince's," Hana comforted the blushing girl as she scolded Uo.

"But we're her best friends!" Uo exclaimed.

"It's still not our relationship."

Uo sighed in defeat, "Fine. So where is the prince taking you today?"

"Yuki-kun is taking me shopping. We're going to get a few things for the baby," Tohru answered with a smile.

Tohru let out a soft breath of relief. She had to thank her dark haired friend for helping her out, but as Tohru faced her to do so, Hana turned away. Hana glanced behind herself for about the tenth time since they started walking. Worried to see her normally at ease friend acting so paranoid, Tohru turned around as well. She was startled to find Motoko, Minami, and Mio walking closely behind them. Tohru froze in her spot and bowed to the fan girls.

Uo and Hana both stopped when they realized Tohru was no longer strolling along with them and peered at Tohru before exchanging similar looks.

"I sense jealousy behind us, don't you?" Hana asked Uo calmly.

"Obviously," Uo agreed with a laugh as the fan club members glared at them.

"We're not jealous!" Motoko denied hotly.

"Why would we be jealous of Honda-san?! She's not pretty at all! She's not even skinny anymore!" Minami declared loudly.

"Why you're all jealous because your precious prince loves Tohru and not you all. Besides, she is bearing the prince's child anyways, and he thinks Tohru is pretty," Uo stated matter-of-factly.

Tohru flushed in humiliation. She tugged on Uo's sleeve, pleading her to stop, but Uo ignored her, daring the fan girls to deny what she had said. One of them might have insisted that Yuki didn't really love Tohru and was just being kind, but Yuki walked over before any of them could speak. He greeted the girls politely before taking Tohru's hand in his. Tohru flushed, grateful he hadn't finished his task soon enough for him to be around to hear what Uo had just said, but Uo just had to include him in the previous conversation they were having.

"Don't you think Tohru is pretty?" Uo asked Yuki.

Yuki was clearly startled by the question, but he smiled warmly soon after, "Of course. She's the most beautiful girl, inside and out, I've ever laid eyes upon."

The fan club girls cringed, rejecting the words that had drifted out of Yuki's mouth. He had just insisted that Tohru was more beautiful than any of them. Yuki didn't seem to notice their expressions as he told them goodbye, telling them something about taking Tohru to the mall.

The fan girls were disappointed at first, stalking away with sulky faces after Yuki had left with Tohru, but they soon were smiling wickedly as they realized there was only one mall nearby. With a quick glance at each other, they knew they were all thinking the same thing.

Laughing wickedly, the three of them rushed out of the school and bolted down the road. They stealthy followed Yuki and Tohru to their home, watching them drop off their backpacks from behind a tree. Each of them made soft gagging sounds to conceal her raging jealousy as Yuki wrapped his arm around Tohru's shoulders, and they grimaced as Tohru smiled and leaned against him. Swallowing their disgust and blatant envy, they continued to track the couple as they started for the mall.

From behind, they looked just like any other couple. Just another ordinary teenage couple shopping around in a mall. That is, until one got a glimpse of Tohru's round belly. Unfortunately, that image of a perfect couple was all the Yuki fan club as they stalked the prince and his princess around the mall. All three of the fan club members here couldn't help but sneer at Tohru's back. She was obviously content, walking beside Yuki with her shoulder making contact with his and her hand welded with his, but heck, which girl wouldn't be?

Her voice even gave her joy away with that little giggle of hers after every other sentence she said. It didn't really bother them that she was happy with him. She wouldn't have been normal if she wasn't. What disturbed them was the fact that Yuki, their prince, seemed as happy as she was, if not more so. They couldn't figure out what he saw in her, what she had that could bring out such a smile on his face. They hadn't even seen that look on his face before, but the scene before them was starting to become repulsive. He had already kissed her –thankfully not on the lips- twice. Once on top of her head and once on the back of her hand.

Sadly, this trip wasn't going as well as they had expected. All they were seeing was proof that Yuki was happy to be with Tohru and nothing otherwise. Nothing interesting was even happening.

The three of them had already followed the couple into numerous baby clothing stores, hiding behind clothing racks as Yuki and Tohru walked around. Tohru had already chosen a couple of outfits, all pink colored, and Yuki was currently holding them for her as she chose a pair of socks, hats, and mittens. The pile of pink grew continuously, and by the time they left the store, each carrying a large bag. They paused momentarily before a large map hanging on the wall. Yuki whispered something into Tohru's ear and pointed to the center of the map. Tohru flushed before nodding, and they were off again, heading to the middle of the mall.

Yuki led Tohru to a maternity store, taking her bag from her before they stepped in to let her browse around. Tohru was about to deny needing new clothes, but taking one look down at her top, she could see that it was rather tight fitting. She was a few days short of beginning her third trimester. The baby would continue to grow, and it wouldn't be long before she wouldn't even be able to get her shirts over her stomach. Peering around at the clothing racks, Tohru chose a random outfit and pulled out the tag. Her eyes widened at the price tag and she dropped it immediately.

"What's the matter, Tohru?" Yuki asked worriedly.

"I didn't bring enough money for anything… I-I'm sorry… I didn't think we were going to go clothes shopping for me too," Tohru looked down apologetically.

"Don't be silly, Tohru. I'll pay. Pick whatever you'd like," Yuki ordered.

"No, no, no! I c-couldn't! You already bought all of this!" Tohru protested, gesturing to the bags in his hands.

"It's my child too. Don't worry about it. So go pick out your clothes before I do for you," Yuki told her.

She stayed where she was guiltily. Yuki set the bags he was holding down in exasperation. He took Tohru's hand in his and dragged her to a nearby rack and pulled out a light pink shirt in Tohru's size. He held it out to her and used his other hand to tilt her head upwards, making her look at it. Tohru didn't say anything, keeping her eyes off the garment. She didn't want to make him buy her any more things. She only had a few more months left to her pregnancy. It'd be a waste to buy new outfits she wouldn't even be able to wear after she gave birth and lost the weight she had gained.

"Tohru, please. You know I'm not good at picking out clothes. Help me out here?" Yuki begged.

"It's perfect…" Tohru finally whispered.

Yuki smiled at her and gently shoved her towards the clothing rack, making her chose a few other outfits she liked before paying for them and letting her leave. Tohru walked out of the store behind Yuki, carrying her new clothes with a frown. Yuki paused and turned back to face her with a concerned expression.

"Tohru, it's just clothes," Yuki soothed.

"Can I pay you back then?" Tohru asked hopefully.

"No," Yuki declined quickly.

Tohru frowned and crossed her arms across her chest. She made an attempt to glare at him but realized he was just amused by this. She could tell he was fighting off a laugh. Spinning around on her heel, she started off in the opposite direction of him, abandoning him there along with the bag of clothes he had just bought for her. The smile vanished off of Yuki's face as he darted over to her, picking up the bag on along his way. He wrapped his arms around her stomach, stopping her in her tracks with an embrace from behind.

Tohru's cheeks flared red as he kissed her on the cheek and handed her bag back to her.

"I'm sorry, Tohru. Forgive me… You can pay me half, all right?" he bargained.

"Thank you," Tohru murmured with a smile.

He released her and took her hand back in his, tugging her towards the exit. They had been at the mall for over an hour, and he had promised that he'd get her home in time for her to start dinner. Tohru followed slowly, admiring things in stores through windows. She wasn't ready to go home. There were so many more beautiful things to look at, and the most beautiful thing stood in a store to her left. She gasped softly when she spotted the white dress with ruffles tainted pink at the edges layered across the body of the garment. There was a satin ribbon running across the middle, the color of the darkest shade of pink on the ruffles. She slipped her hand out of Yuki's and ran over to the shop.

She pressed her nose against the glass, staring at it with wide eyes.

"What is it, Tohru?" Yuki asked, walking over to her.

"Isn't it pretty?" Tohru asked, not taking her eyes off the gown.

Yuki smiled and nodded, "Would you like it?"

"No, no! It wouldn't fit!" Tohru pointed out with a glance downwards at her stomach.

"You're not going to be pregnant forever, Tohru. You'll be the size you were before in no time. Come on. I'll get it for you," Yuki told her, pulling her towards the entrance.

"No! I-I don't want it!" Tohru denied, pulling her hand out of his.

She darted away from him, not wanting him to purchase the dress for her.

Yuki stood there, dumbfounded for a short moment before chasing after her. Barely dodging crowds of people in his way, he tried to keep track of Tohru as she slipped through the crowds. She turned a corner, and by the time he got there, she was nowhere in sight. Groaning, he wondered how she could maneuver better than he could while carrying a baby inside of her. He trudged along worriedly, craning his neck around in attempt to locate her.

Meanwhile, Tohru sat down on a bench tiredly.

She wrapped her arms around her stomach with a sigh. He just didn't understand some things about pregnancy. How did he expect her to go back to her old size after having a baby inside of her? She sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Tohru wasn't even sure why she was upset, but it probably had something to do with the fact that she had no idea why Yuki even liked her. He was the most popular guy in the whole school, despite his interactions with her, the most unpopular girl in school. His popularity had dropped slightly with his confession that he was the father of her child and that he loved her, but not significantly. She could count on one hand the number of girls who had stopped worshipping him when they found out the baby in her was his. This fact made her feel guilty enough about their relationship. She didn't need him to buy things for her to fuss over.

She was too preoccupied to notice the girls calling her name until they were standing in front of her and shading her in darkness. Tohru looked up with wide eyes, shocked to find three members of Yuki's fan club standing before her. She stared blankly at the three faces for a moment before forcing a faint smile to her face that the three girls did not return. They stood there, glowering at her, jealous and angry.

"Hello, Honda-san…. How might you be this fine evening?" Motoko asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"I-I'm f-fine!" Tohru stuttered nervously.

"Oh really… Well not for long anyways," Minami added in a falsely cheerful tone as she sat herself down beside Tohru.

"W-What do you m-mean?" Tohru inquired worriedly.

"Well you see…. You don't really think the prince has any real interest in you, do you? I mean, you couldn't possibly have thought that, right? It's completely ludicrous to think such a thing. Forgive me for even thinking you'd be stupid enough to believe that. Sorry," Motoko apologized in a cynical voice.

Tohru looked down sadly, fighting off new brimming tears. It was enough to think that herself. She didn't need other people to point that out to her as well, nor did she need them to pretend to be her friends and try to console her. She wished they'd just leave her alone now they had said what they wanted to. She didn't want them seated next to her, babbling about how incompatible she and Yuki were. Tohru was well aware of that fact, but he loved her. He even insisted that she was a better person than he was, but they were making her doubt his words.

"So you know, Tohru, we're not trying to be mean, but you understand our reasoning, right? You and Yuki? Come on! Let's be reasonable here, okay?" Minami soothed in a menacing voice.

"Hush, Minami! You're being extremely rude! Leave the poor girl alone! It's not her fault the prince doesn't really love her!" Motoko snapped.

She paused for a moment before adding, "Well I mean, she could be blamed for believing such an obvious lie…. But give poor Honda-san some pity."

Tohru clenched her mouth shut, wrestling back her tears and choking back sobs. Her hands shook as she pressed them to her face, hiding the tears she could no longer restrain. Motoko smiled wryly when she noticed this and patted Tohru's back unsympathetically. She waited until she could hear the soft murmur of Tohru's crying before Motoko snickered cruelly and signaled to her companions now was the time to leave. They all left Tohru alone on the bench, smiling satisfactorily to themselves as they sauntered away, and their smiles only widened when they spotted Yuki running towards them.

Unfortunately, they were unaware of the fact that he hadn't even noticed them.

Yuki darted straight past them without a greeting or even an acknowledging glance in their direction. He continued breathlessly over to Tohru, not stopping until he had enclosed her small form in his arms. He kneeled down in front of her, holding her tightly against his chest. Tohru sat there stiffly, crying and letting him stroke her hair. She pressed her face against his shirt, not bothering to fuss over what anyone else in the mall was thinking. Yuki gripped her worriedly, wondering what he had done to upset her.

"Tohru, what's the matter?" Yuki inquired anxiously.

"N-Nothing…" she sniffled.

"Why are you crying then?" he continued gently.

"I-I I-love you…. I-I…" Tohru stammered, avoiding his question.

"I love you too…" he reassured her.

"D-Do you really?"

"Yes. I really do. Now tell me, what made you cry?"

"Nothing… I'm okay…" Tohru smiled, withdrawing from his hold and swiping at her tears.

Yuki stood up and sat down beside her. He took her hand in his, squeezing it lightly. Her response hardly comforted him. He knew her better than to believe that. She was the type of person who didn't want to worry others, meaning she would rather keep her problems to herself and pretend to be happy when she was depressed, but he was aching to learn of the cause of her tears. Her crying wasn't something he enjoyed seeing, and knowing she'd rather not tell him the cause of her tears made it that much more difficult to punish the people to blame.

"But you were crying… Did I do something wrong?"

"No… Of course not… You did nothing wrong…." Tohru murmured.

"And the dress…?" Yuki questioned.

"I don't need it… It's pretty… But it'll never fit…."

Yuki didn't respond. He kept his thoughts to himself as he made plans to return to the mall sometime later in the week to get the dress he could tell she wanted. She was just too selfless to admit it. It'd make the perfect gift for her for the baby shower Uo and Hana were secretly planning to throw for Tohru –though it'd have nothing to do with the baby. She'd love it, although she'd complain endlessly, whine, and insist he take it back. In the end, she'd keep it, even if he had to refuse to return it or take it back for days.

"Ready to leave yet? …Or is there something else you would like to get after all?" he asked, trying to get her to admit to wanting the dress.

To his disappointment, Tohru simply agreed to the first and denied the second, oblivious to the connotation to the dress. She stood up, anxious about getting home on time now. She started towards him, but she paused in mid step. Tohru flushed, peering at his confused expression timidly. Yuki watched her for a minute, holding his hand out to her to urge her along. Tohru stayed put, too embarrassed to say anything for a brief moment.

"I-I need to go to the washroom…" Tohru admitted softly.

"All right. I'll wait here for you."

"Don't! You can go somewhere else! I can find you later! I-I might take a while!"

Tohru waved her hands in front of herself in protest. Letting him know where she had to go was humiliating enough. Yuki was considerate and he wouldn't mind waiting, but she didn't want him to have to wait around for her. He stared at her, confounded. At first, he didn't want to leave her alone just because she needed to go to the restroom, but thinking it through it for a second, he realized she had just given him the perfect opportunity to go pick up her gift. He could have thanked her, and he would have if it wouldn't have revealed his plans.

"Okay… But please don't look for me. We're going to get lost. If you don't want me to stand around here waiting for you, would you please stay here instead? I'll come back when I'm done getting something?"

"Okay," Tohru agreed before scurrying off to the bathroom.

Yuki ran off as soon as Tohru stepped inside the restroom. Unable to recollect where the store was located or even the name of it, he struggled to retrace his steps as quickly as he could. It took him a few minutes to even spot the store on the opposite side of the mall from where he was standing as he squeezed through the clumps of people with three bags in his arms. Yuki made his way over to the shop and bought the dress as rapidly as he could. Somehow, he managed to get back shortly after Tohru exited the washroom.

She noticed he was carrying a new bag in his hand along with all the others they had before as he ran towards her.

"What did you get?" Tohru asked curiously.

"Oh... You know. New clothes," he answered nonchalantly with a shrug.

She smiled, naturally assuming the clothes he had bought were for himself, but if she took a closer look at the black bag, she would have noticed the shop name was one for a female apparel shop and the same store she had been window shopping in not too long ago.

He took her hand in his, sliding the bags onto his wrist. Yuki led her away before she stared at the bag too long and recognized the name. Along their way, they passed three very depressed looking girls who couldn't even manage to smile when they saw their precious prince pass by them.

They could see he had chosen his princess, and he was happy with her, even though it wasn't one of them.


	26. Week 26

Tohru giggled, laughing at something Yuki had told her. He flashed her a smile, lowering his hand down to her. She gratefully took it and let him help her up from her spot on the ground.

It was time to return home.

They had been at their secret base for over two hours now, and they had hardly gotten any gardening done. Actually, they hadn't even touched the watering can or any of the other tools they had brought with them. The gardening tools remained on the grass, still sitting beside the small garden patch. Scattered clumps of snow still covered the brown dirt. It was a tad early for Yuki to begin returning to garden, but how could she decline an offer to go with him to his secret base, even if he made her wear about three sweaters and a thick jacket that made her feel more like a walrus than an actual person.

Nevertheless, it was still odd for them to be going to their garden in February.

She couldn't help but be grateful for the cold weather though. The chilly winds tend to darken her cheeks, making her frequent blushes hard to distinguish. He didn't mind or comment, unless he was teasing her, but she hated to let him see her blush. It was bad enough that she had to wear all this clothing which doubled her size at the least, while he stood there perfectly handsome and thin in a black jacket. Being pregnant, she was a lot larger than him already. There was no need to make her over triple his waist size with such thick clothing. Regardless, he wouldn't let her remove a layer, and for that, she was grateful. She was cold, even with all her clothing, but at the moment, she was hungrier.

"Come on, Tohru. I'm starving, and I'm sure you are too."

She nodded, feeling her stomach grumble in agreement. Yuki chuckled as he led her back to Shigure's house with a mysterious smile. He hardly spoke to her on the journey back, which was unusual. Instead, he kept eagerly looking ahead, clearly fighting to keep from sprinting the rest of the way back. Tohru watched him obliviously, unable to figure out what had him so excited. He had never seemed so jubilant over just returning for lunch before. She could only assume he was extremely hungry.

However, it all made sense as soon as Yuki opened the front door, and she spotted the decorated living room.

A mixture of pink and white balloons was strung around the walls of the house and hanging with ribbons across the ceiling and over door frames. A large table, covered with a light rose colored table cloth, dotted with baby rattles and teddy bears, sat in the center of the creation, and on top of it sat a pile of colorful presents and beside that, platters of entrées and appetizers. Her friends all stood aimlessly scattered around, chatting and obviously waiting for the two of them to arrive. She glanced up at the large streamer strung over the table. _It's a girl!_ was written in bright pink letters, centered between several more balloons repeating the same message.

Her jaw dropped open, and she stared at Yuki, almost angrily. He lifted his hands up innocently, signaling his complete and utter lack of role in the party other than distracting her for the morning. Tohru glanced back inside of the house in horror before looking back at Yuki, but she didn't get a second to question Yuki about the party.

Momiji spotted them first, jumping up and down and excitedly announcing their presence. Everybody she knew was standing before her, yelling congratulations and other random things. Even the Yuki fan club was here, although they had remained quiet during the cheers. Tohru flushed instantly, a blush even they could see from where they were fifteen feet away in the back of the room. She was hoping they thought her face was red from the chilly air, but by the sounds of their laughs, they were well aware of her embarrassment.

Yuki peered at her, wondering why she was still standing there and gawking at the sight before her. He took her hand in his, pulling her along, but she yanked her hand out of his before he even got her to take one step forward. She clutched her hands to her chest, staring ahead with wide eyes. Yuki waved his hand in front of her for a minute until her eyes slowly drifted over to him. He gazed at her worriedly when she turned her head towards the floor.

"What's wrong, Tohru?"

"B-Baby shower… W-Why?" Tohru stuttered in a quiet voice.

"Because you're having a baby?" Yuki answered, not sure why she was even asking.

"But I-I don't want one…." Tohru whispered.

"Why? It'll be fun," Yuki assured her.

"For you… But not for me…"

"Why won't it be fun for you? You get to open presents and your friends are here," Yuki pointed out.

Tohru slowly shook her head back and forth. Yes, her friends were here, and she liked that. She liked being around Yuki's family, Uo, and Hana, but she'd rather not be around various classmates of hers that she wasn't well acquainted with. They were the ones who would whisper about her behind her back, calling her a prostitute and criticizing the relationship she had with Yuki. They had no right to assume such things about her or disapprove of her status as Yuki's girlfriend, only Yuki could, but he never did.

Besides, he also mentioned presents. She didn't exactly enjoy receiving gifts if she had nothing to compensate with, even if the gifts weren't technically for her. They were for her child, and she couldn't feel more guilty. Yuki bought her enough things. He had already purchased a few outfits for her and the baby and various toys. She didn't need any more than that, yet she could see the pile of colorful, wrapped boxes from where she was.

"B-But I don't want presents. You already bought me all I need… And I don't want a party… People stare at me enough…" Tohru murmured.

"They stare because they think you're pretty."

"No… You know they stare because I'm pregnant."

"That doesn't mean they can't think you're beautiful," Yuki pointed out.

Tohru looked down at her feet, too shy to respond to his flattering. She thought she'd get used to his continual compliments after dating for over two weeks, but she still couldn't handle looking him in the eye after he said such things about her. However, he still found her reactions amusing. In this situation, he normally would have chuckled at her, but he was getting tired of trying to persuade her into entering the house. Taking one look at her expression, Yuki gave up on trying to convince her to go to the party willingly.

"You can walk there or I can carry you. Do you have a preference?" Yuki inquired.

"Don't carry me!" she exclaimed.

"So you'll walk. Come along," Yuki concluded with a smile.

"No! I'm not going!" Tohru squeaked.

"Tohru, you have to. Uotani-san and Hanajima-san spent hours setting up for you. Besides, everyone knows you're here, and they're wondering why we're just standing here."

Tohru shook her head again, turning her face towards the floor again. She appreciated all the work her friends did, but she didn't want to attend. The Yuki fan club was there, and they bothered her more than anything else on the world. Besides, a baby shower meant that everyone was going to gather around her, watch her, and pat her stomach. She had never been one for attention, and this baby shower would definitely revolve around her. She didn't want all the attention. She already got enough of it walking around school pregnant.

Yuki peered at her a second longer before sweeping her off her feet. Tohru squealed as he took a step forward. She quickly locked her arms around his neck before flailing about. She didn't think he'd really pick her up, especially since she was over six months pregnant. They probably looked ridiculous, and the last thing she needed was more embarrassing things in her life. Nevertheless, she was sure she was too heavy to be carried around now.

"Put me down, Yuki!" Tohru cried.

"So you'll walk there?"

"Yes!" Tohru frantically agreed.

He set her down with a smile and let her walk along a foot ahead of him. If it were possible, her face was even darker than before. Yuki chuckled to himself, hiding his laugh from Tohru with his hand. He followed her as she walked straight through the living room and past all her guests. Baffled, everyone watched her leave the room. Yuki shrugged to them and chased after her, following her to her room. He was bemused to find her digging through her closet with her coat and all the sweaters he had made her wear tossed about on the floor.

Tohru, not having heard Yuki's footsteps behind her, was shocked to find Yuki standing in her room after she pulled her head out of her closet. She hardly held back her scream.

"What are you doing, Tohru? If you want to hide, you'll have to pick a better place than your closet," Yuki teased.

"I'm not hiding! I'm changing," Tohru told him, holding out an outfit he had bought for her last week.

"May I ask why?"

Tohru gestured to the wet splotches coating her skirt. The snow still loitering on the ground had somehow managed to dampen her outfit, despite all the clothing barricades that were supposed to keep her dry. She smiled before turning around, revealing to him the wet stains covering the back of her white shirt and lilac skirt. Yuki's eyebrows furrowed with concern. If she had been wet outside, she must have been cold. He was beginning to regret distracting her outside, but his fears of a possible sickness were brushed off with a smile from her.

"So you're not mad?" Yuki asked.

"No, should I be?"

"No… I'm just glad you're not…"

Tohru beamed, blushing as he stepped towards her. He brushed his fingers against her cheeks, gazing into her large eyes momentarily before leaning towards her and kissing her. Seconds after Tohru had dropped her outfit to wrap her arms around Yuki's neck, Uo and Hana barged in. Tohru released Yuki instantly and hopped away from him, her face a bright shade of red as she glanced at her friends' surprised faces. It took a minute before the utter shock faded from Uo's face, and she could speak again.

"She'd rather do this than go to our party? Let's go Hana," Uo muttered.

Uo made a disapproving sound before making a move to leave the room with Hana trailing closely behind her. Tohru gasped and flailed her arms about in protest.

"No, no, no! Wait! That's not it! I'm just changing! I do want to go to your party!" Tohru squealed.

Uo slipped back inside and winked at her, "Ha! Gotcha! Now you gotta come, and you can't look miserable!"

Tohru blinked in confusion, not realizing what Uo meant until she had taken Yuki's hand and dragged him out of the room with Hana. She could vaguely hear Yuki ask Uo what she was doing and Uo accusing him of wanting to watch Tohru change before their voices dimmed. Tohru's face didn't lighten a bit after hearing that comment. She hurriedly shuffled into her clean outfit and scurried out of her room to go find Yuki and the rest of her friends.

She skidded right past the kitchen before stumbling back when she caught sight of Yuki sitting at the table, waiting for her. He watched her fretfully, afraid that she'd fall. Yuki was obviously relieved after she steadied herself and made her way over to him. He stood up and took her hand in his as he led her towards the entrance of the living room. She hesitated, pausing before entering. Yuki stood beside her patiently, having no worries she'd try to convince him not to make her go. She was never one to break a promise, and she had already told Uo and Hana she'd go.

"Did you get something for the baby?" Tohru asked warily.

Yuki glanced at her face with an innocent smile.

"Kind of…" Yuki admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't tell you. It's a surprise," Yuki grinned.

Tohru frowned but made no comment. She had had enough surprises already, but there was still a pile full of more surprises awaiting her. She reluctantly let him lead her into the room and seat her in a chair with a banner that had _Mommy _written on it at the head of the table. There, she was forced to sit and stay as Yuki went to fetch her food and everyone crowded around her. With a red face, she peered around herself, shocked to see all of the Sohmas she knew here along with her grandfather and her aunt and uncle. Even Rin was here, even though she was sitting in the corner of the room by herself.

Kisa was the first to approach her, followed by a grudging Hiro. Hiro kept his distance as Kisa tried to hug Tohru, but her short arms couldn't reach around Tohru's stomach. Tohru laughed as she wrapped her arms around Kisa with a grin. Kagura followed, practically leaping on the two of them and locking them both in a tight embrace. It took two seconds before Kyo and Yuki decided to free Tohru and Kisa before either of them suffocated.

"Kagura, could you do me a favor and just hug Kyo like that, please?" Yuki asked.

Kyo's eyes widened in terror as he shouted, "Damn rat!"

The red-haired teen made an effort to leave before Kagura could reach him, but he failed miserably. Kagura nodded with a wide smile before leaping onto Kyo. Kyo glared at Yuki for a split second before darting off, muttering a threat to Yuki as he tried to get Kagura off of his back. Yuki chocked back a laugh as he handed Tohru her food, but he couldn't contain his chuckles when he glanced up from Tohru's concerned face to the dumbfounded expressions of his classmates. After being entertained by that for a minute, he sat down beside Tohru, getting bored of the comments of his school mates.

He shoved Tohru's food towards her and placed her chopsticks in her hands, making her eat. She obeyed, eating while trying to get a chance to greet everyone.

For a moment, everything was pleasant and tranquil. That is until Uo and Hana announced it was time for Tohru to open her gifts. Tohru, reminded of the towering stack of gifts, cringed. She glanced at the mountain of presents for a split second before covering her eyes with her hands. Yuki could hear her take in several deep breaths in attempt to calm herself. He pried her hands off her face, but she still refused to even look at the gifts, keeping her eyes shut firmly.

"Tohru, open them. There's nothing to feel bad about…" Yuki urged.

"Then you open them…" Tohru whispered.

"You're the mother."

"And you're the father…" Tohru reminded him.

"The baby is inside of you. Having you open them is the closest we'll get to the baby opening them herself. Please?" Yuki asked hopefully.

Tohru didn't get a chance to reply. A present was tossed onto her lap as soon as her eyes opened. Peeking up at Uo's stern face, Tohru decided there was no way around it and started to tear the wrapping paper off. Yuki took the crumpled paper from her as she pulled off the lid, revealing an orange stuffed animal. She grinned, taking the plush cat in her arms and turning back around to face Kyo with an appreciative smile. She was delighted to receive twelve more stuffed animals, each from its respective zodiac member.

Repeating the present opening process several more times, she soon had a pile of toys, stuffed animals, picture frames, and blankets beside her. She also had enough rubber duckies to bathe her daughter with a different one for an entire month and more dresses than her daughter could wear before she outgrew them. After numerous thanks and smiles from Tohru, there sat one last box in front of her. She eagerly tore through it, beaming widely when she saw the mobile with thirteen zodiac animals hanging from it inside.

She held it out, dangling it on her arm and letting the mobile spin around.

"I told you she'd like it," Haru said to Yuki.

"I never said she wouldn't," Yuki responded in a slightly irked manner.

"Where did you get it?" Tohru chirped curiously, "I've never seen anything like it."

"We convinced Rin to make it."

Tohru gasped, "She made it?"

Haru nodded nonchalantly, and as soon as he did, Tohru raced off, mobile in hand, to where Rin was sitting. Rin flinched when she saw Tohru racing towards her, or more like stumble over towards her as quickly as she could with a baby still in her abdomen. Tohru dropped down beside Rin and threw her arms around her. Rin flinched, leaning away from Tohru. She would have run away when she saw Tohru, but being in the corner limited her escape options.

"Thank you Isuzu…" Tohru smiled.

"No problem… Now get off of me," Rin replied awkwardly, trying to her best ability to fulfill her promise to Haru to be nice.

Tohru released Rin, holding the mobile close to her chest. Rin didn't say anything, wishing Tohru would leave her alone so everyone in the party would stop staring at her already. Seeing Rin's exasperation, Yuki rushed over to Tohru and pulled the oblivious brunette away before Rin lashed out. A promise to Haru to be kind wouldn't keep Rin from snapping for too long, and Yuki didn't want Tohru anywhere her if that were to happen. Tohru followed him, cradling the mobile in her arms gently.

Passing Shigure on his way back to the table with Tohru, Yuki whacked his cousin on the back of his head. Shigure whimpered, rubbing his head as Yuki rolled his eyes at his female classmates that were surrounding Shigure.

Yuki had originally been suspicious with Shigure's quick agreement to allow the baby shower to take place in his house, doubting his true intentions, and now, he had a feeling he had a reason for his suspicion. He was sure Shigure had only given his approval so that he could be around teenage girls for the duration of the party. Come to think of it, Yuki couldn't even recall Shigure saying a word to Tohru, the star of the party. Even each of the Yuki fan girls, who despised Tohru more than anyone else, had said a few kind words to Tohru, though they were covering malice intents.

It didn't matter.

He'd rather not have Shigure making crude comments to Tohru during the party. Yuki sat her back down at the table where Tohru was soon joined by her friends, Kagura, Kisa, and Ayame who started to discuss with her what plans she had for the baby so far. He kept quiet, not participating in the conversation. Instead, Yuki listened to what she wanted as she answered the questions from her female friends and his brother.

It was all the answers he needed as to what else she wanted as toys, clothing, and other necessities, and she was listing everything he needed to get for the baby's room. He smiled to himself, mentally recording what to shop for next week.

The baby shower dragged on into the evening, although most of the guests not particularly close to Tohru had left a couple of hours earlier. Uo, Hana, and the Sohmas had stayed a bit longer, having more than enough topics to talk to Tohru about. They wanted to know everything, from what names they had picked out to what a kick felt like, and Tohru's throat hurt by the end of the party.

By the time she and Yuki had finished cleaning up the mess, both were eager to get to bed.

Tohru brushed her teeth and made her way to her room tiredly, finding a box on top of her pillow. Curiously, she approached the white box with bright orange and pink ribbons wrapped around it. She sat down slowly, pulling the gift onto her lap and yanking off the wrappings. Slowly she lifted the lid and gawked at the dress inside. Only one person would have gotten this for her, and that was Yuki. She pulled out the silky material gingerly, not sure how to react.

It took her a minute to realize that something had fallen out of the box when she took out the dress.

She picked up a small piece of paper beside her feet, reading the message with a small smile. Five simple words were written across.

_I am not returning it. _


	27. Week 27

Tohru was in the kitchen with Yuki, washing dishes as he dried them and put them away. She had been listening to Yuki talk about a parental class being held at the hospital since they had eaten breakfast with periodic protests. She didn't understand why he felt the need to attend. Tohru knew that there wasn't a bit of information about pregnancy, birth, or newborns that he didn't know about, but he was insisting books didn't give them any hands-on experience. She could only see it as an opportunity for new people to tease her about her pregnancy though.

"I don't want to go, Yuki-kun… Please?" Tohru begged softly.

"What harm can it do?" Yuki inquired, baffled by her constant pleas.

"You go. I don't want to," Tohru whispered, looking down.

"Why? What's wrong with going?"

"Everyone is going to stare at me… No one is going to be my age. They'll all be older and married."

She could already feel the eyes of twenty couples all glued onto her. Tohru shook her head slowly at the thought. Nobody seemed to consider staring offensive anymore. Nowadays, it seemed like she was on display. No one even bothered to conceal their comments anymore, regardless of how she felt. Of course, Yuki didn't understand how she felt. He did have experience with staring, just not the hateful kind. All eyes tended to drift off of her and onto him when he was around, but the gazes focused on him were always filled with love.

"You have me though… Am I not good enough?" Yuki questioned.

"No, no, no! I-I mean you are! I just don't want to go…"

"It'll be good for the baby and you."

"But weren't we supposed to go earlier? It'll be awkward to start attending this far into my pregnancy…"

"Better late than never, right? Come on, Tohru. Just once, please. If it's bad, I won't make you go ever again."

"Just once?"

Yuki nodded in conformation with a hopeful glance in her direction. Tohru frowned, finding her determination to avoid going to the class waning with the expression he was giving her. How could she refuse when he was giving her such a look? He looked helpless, defenseless. He made attending this session seem vital enough to make her feel guilty about her reluctance to go. Yuki held back a smile when he noticed her waving a white flag of defeat around in her eyes until he heard her vocal agreement.

Tohru sighed, "Okay…"

Yuki grinned and kissed her on the cheek, sending waves of red across her face. Tohru could feel the scorching heat of the blood rushing to her cheeks. After dating for nearly a month, she was sure she should have a good grasp on her embarrassment, but she hadn't even begun to be able to steady her heart or stop the blood that always seemed to gather in her cheeks when he was near. He laughed and took her hand, leading her out of the kitchen now that the sink was empty and the cabinets full.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked suspiciously.

"Don't worry. The classes start at three. It's only twelve."

Tohru followed him hesitantly, pausing frequently. She didn't want anymore surprises. He was spoiling her and the baby rotten, and the baby wasn't even born yet. She couldn't even think about how their child would be like after she was born. Tohru had never doubted that he'd be a generous father, although she hadn't been positive whether or not he'd father her baby until recently, but Yuki was already ruining her plans of how to raise their daughter.

"Stop looking at me like your holding hands with a criminal or someone like that," Yuki demanded softly.

"I am not!"

Yuki laughed as Tohru denied his words, failing to realize that he was teasing her.

Knowing Shigure well enough to be wary of him, Yuki grimaced slightly as they got near Shigure's room. As he had anticipated, as soon as they took a step in front of his office, Shigure burst out of the doors with a mischievous and slightly perverted expression. He had his arms outstretched towards Tohru, ready to attack her or grope her. Yuki wasn't sure which, but that hardly stopped him from restraining him. Yuki had his arms locked around Shigure's before he had taken two steps from the office, but that didn't stop the words from coming out of Shigure's mouth.

"Tohru-kun! Your twins! They're so big now!" Shigure cried, eying a particular part of Tohru's anatomy.

"Eh? B-But I'm not having twins," Tohru responded obliviously.

Yuki glared, understanding what Shigure really meant to say perfectly. His grip around Shigure's arms tightened as Shigure started to try to break free again. Shigure whimpered and flailed his body around immaturely in attempt to escape in vain. Yuki's hold hadn't loosened in the least bit. Tohru's hands were raised as she began to ask Yuki to release the older man, but her voice hadn't been heard under the commotion of the forming quarrel. She sighed in defeat, lowering her hand as she bit her lip worriedly.

"Quit looking at her chest before I break your neck," Yuki threatened.

"That's not fair, Yuki-kun! You shouldn't keep Tohru-kun all to yourself!" Shigure whined.  
"She's _my_ girlfriend. So leave before I put you in the hospital."

"You don't own people, Yuki. That's not fair. Let Tohru share her twins. They're all grown up!"

Tohru peered at the two of them, still confused. She couldn't follow their conversation at all. She was only starting to grasp the fact that the argument involved her. Briefly glancing at both of their faces, she just got more lost. She knew Yuki was slightly embarrassed by the faint pink tint to his cheeks, and Shigure was wearing the mask of a lecher, but she couldn't connect either of their expressions. Tohru blinked a couple times in bewilderment, hesitating as she made another attempt to stop them.

"Get back to work, Shigure. Why must you make something so natural so perverted?" Yuki questioned exasperatedly.

"Natural?" Tohru asked, "What are you both talking about?"

"Yes, whatever do you mean by natural?" Shigure snickered to himself.

Yuki glared for a long moment at Shigure, malice drifting out of his eyes. Tohru tugged at his hand, demanding an explanation. Not sure whether he was even willing to answer her question, he glanced at her warily. She continued to peer back at him with a plea in her eyes that he just couldn't refuse. Sighing, he released his hold on Shigure and wrapped his fingers around her hand. He led her away from Shigure or tried to, but Shigure followed them in a manner that was the opposite of discreet.

"Breastfeeding. Shigure is being childish about your body's way of preparing for that," Yuki muttered, trying to answer Tohru's question with as few syllables as he could manage.

"Ooh! Breastfeed me, Tohru!" Shigure exclaimed with glee.

"We're leaving!" Yuki snapped without even giving Tohru an opportunity to reply.

Fighting the urge to slaughter Shigure with the nearest sharp object, Yuki dragged an embarrassed Tohru out of the room. Tohru had pieced together little of the conversation, but those bits were enough to humiliate her. Shigure didn't bother to follow, snickering from where he was. Yuki tugged her into her room, grabbed her coat, and made her put it on before he pulled her outside. Tohru stumbled behind him, gripping onto his hand tightly to keep from falling.

"But Yuki-kun, I thought you said the classes wouldn't start until three!" Tohru squealed, not wanting to leave any sooner than absolutely necessary.

"We'll stop and get you something to eat on the way. I'm sure you're getting hungry," Yuki responded in a voice with no traces of his previous annoyance.

"I-I guess…"

"Come along then," Yuki smiled.

Tohru obediently strolled along beside him, grateful that his pace had slowed. She had been having a difficult time keeping up with his long strides. Yuki peered at her, watching her eyes shimmer with happiness as her eyes drifted across the trees and shrubbery around them. He found it hard to believe that she could still be so energetic and bounce around this far into her pregnancy. He knew that the energy she seemed to have lost during the first couple of trimesters had returned by now, but carrying around a child had to be more tiring than she was making it seem. She practically had more energy than he did, and he wasn't even the one who had been up at six in the morning.

"Where are we going exactly?" Tohru inquired after a moment.

"The classes are at the hospital. It'll take a little under an hour to walk there."

After ten minutes of walking, they wound up seated at a park bench. Yuki wouldn't listen to her protests that she wasn't tired. They nearly rested there for as long as they had been walking before Yuki let her stand again. He didn't understand how humiliating it was to have to stop at every bench they passed, sit down and have him pull her feet onto his lap to massage them. It was a sweet gesture, and she appreciated it, but she really didn't feel the need. It seemed excessive at first, but after a while, her feet seemed to thank him.

The journey that shouldn't have taken more than an hour took them a little over two hours with Yuki's insistence on breaks and the half hour they used for lunch. They got there with only ten minutes to spare. They quickly followed the paper signs pointing them around the hospital to a room in the back where various pregnant women were seated with their husbands. Tohru froze outside the door, her fingers still raised, reaching for the door knob. Yuki peered at her curiously as she took a step back from the door, looking ready to bolt out of the hospital. He placed a restraining hand on her shoulder gently, trying not to startle her. Regardless, her eyes were filled with fright when she turned to face him.

"What's the matter, Tohru?"

"You lied! You told me there'd be other girls my age! There's no one here younger than twenty five!" Tohru wailed.

"Why does that matter? I'm here with you, and you're here with me."

"They're already staring at me and I haven't even entered the room…." Tohru whispered in a strangled, petrified tone.

Yuki followed her worried gaze inside the room. It was true. There wasn't a single person in the room who didn't have his head turned in their direction with his mouth dropped in shock. Tohru was nearly hiding behind Yuki now, only her eyes were visible to the crowd. He shot them a quick glare before turning around to face Tohru, blocking the curious stares from her view. He took both of Tohru's hands in his, not liking how they trembled out of fright.

"Ignore them," he suggested.

"I can't."

"You don't mind when I stare at you…" Yuki pointed out.

Tohru peered at him incredulously when he said those words. How could he possibly assume that? Unless he couldn't see the color red anymore. That would explain why he was claiming not to notice the red flush that always appeared when he was near, or he had seen her blush enough that he was beginning to think her skin was naturally scarlet. Regardless, he had to notice how it always seemed difficult for her to think coherently around him. Didn't he hear how she stuttered and tripped over her words? Apparently not.

"Yes, I do," Tohru insisted.

"Hey, look!" Yuki exclaimed, gazing back into the room.

"What?"

"In the back corner. I bet she's not past twenty," Yuki murmured, gesturing to the dark haired girl huddled in the back of the room.

Following the direction of Yuki's eyes, Tohru founded the woman Yuki was referring to. She gawked at the tattoos that covered her arms and the tight, leather clothes that were still draped across her pregnant body. The last three buttons were left undone, her belly now too big too fit inside. Her skirt seemed only inches long and her boots were raised to her knees. Rows of earrings covered her ears, and she could see gem studs on the girl's nose and eyebrow. Tohru couldn't even see the women's eyes under all that dark mascara and eyeliner.

Tohru crossed her arms, now more eager to leave than ever. She didn't want Yuki in the same room with a girl who barely seemed dressed.

"I still want to go home," Tohru told him firmly.

"Fine. You can go home, and I guess I'll just have to be her partner since it doesn't look like the father joined her," Yuki sighed.

"No! You will _not_ be her partner!" Tohru cried in horror.

"Then will you be joining me?"

Yuki didn't even turn around to see her nodding head, already aware of her answer, before leading her inside. He seated them in the center of the room with a good view of everything that would be taught. Tohru frowned as she sat beside him, leaning against him hesitantly. Yuki instantly wrapped his arm around her, keeping her near in a protective looking stance.

He glanced around, noticing all the married couples around them. More than half were not as far developed as Tohru was. Some hardly looked pregnant.

Tohru kept her eyes downcast self-consciously. She wrapped her arms around her abdomen, trying to focus on something other than the murmurs of the women around them. Regardless, their voices were still perfectly clear to her. It was hard to ignore gossip when every other sentence included a reference to her and Yuki. At school, she was used to being the center of rumors, but she didn't like the fact that complete strangers were now talking about her. They didn't know a thing about her, yet they felt that they had the right to assume things about her?

"How old do you think _she _is?"

"They both look no older than my oldest child…"

"I knew the value of abstinence was decreasing amongst the younger generations, but I never thought it got this bad."

"Heh. Maybe they'll both learn something through this before they're onto their second and third children."

Tohru's eyebrows knitted together sadly when she heard that. Even if she wanted another child, she wouldn't be able to. Yuki's hand found hers and his fingers instantly wrapped around hers, squeezing them lightly. She looked up at him, forcing the edges of her lips to creep upward into a smile when she spotted the concern in his face. This was nothing to make him fuss over, but even she could see that he wasn't fooled by her façade.

"They're just gossipy women with nothing better to discuss. They don't know what they're talking about. Don't be upset," Yuki whispered to her.

"It shouldn't matter what they think," Tohru agreed.

"Right."

"So why am I upset?" Tohru mused.

"Because you are an incredibly sweet girl who worries about everyone, including these women even if they don't deserve your concern. You fret because you think you hurt them by being pregnant."

"Oh."

Tohru nodded, agreeing with his conclusion. She could feel her heart fluttering excitedly in her chest. She had no idea he knew so much about her thinking process. He made it seem as if he knew her more than she even knew herself. Slightly embarrassed, she blushed lightly at the thought, but even so, she couldn't fight off a faint smile. Yuki brushed his fingertips against the edge of her mouth, his expression reflecting hers.

"But you shouldn't be worried. You haven't done a thing to offend them."

"Apparently, I did," Tohru disagreed.

Yuki rubbed her hand reassuringly. For a moment, Tohru was able to forget about where she was and who was staring at them, but then the sound of clattering footsteps and the muted screech of a plastic box being dragged across tile broke her out of her trance. They both looked up as a middle-aged lady walked down the aisle, passing out plastic babies. As soon as the women was standing before them, baby in hand, Yuki took theirs with a grin before Tohru's outstretched hands could reach it.

"Remember these?" he chuckled.

"How could I forget? We almost failed because every time it cried at night you'd try to kill it," Tohru giggled.

"Luckily you always got up before I did…" Yuki trailed off.

Suddenly, Tohru glanced up at him, worried, "Please don't do that when the real baby comes!"

Yuki watched fear light up Tohru's eyes as she took the doll from him and held it gently against her chest. He stared at her incredulously. She didn't really believe he would hurt their baby, did she? Even at odd hours of the night, he knew the difference between inanimate objects and living beings. That's why he never struck at Tohru whenever she tried to wake him –although he did consider Kyo and Shigure to be inanimate if they tried to wake him. On the other hand, he had to get a new alarm clock at least every month.

"I'll try not to?"

"Don't try! Just don't! Yuki, you can't do that to a baby… It'll cry a lot in the night. Please don't," Tohru pled.

"Don't worry so much, Tohru. I won't hurt our daughter. I don't think I can."

"Good."

Tohru was still watching him cautiously when the women returned with an empty box where the plastic babies had come from. She set it on the floor and cleared her throat loudly to get everyone's attention. The endless chatter died down to a couple of quiet whispers as all heads finally turned away from Tohru's direction and towards the lady standing at the front of the room.

"Welcome everyone. I'm a nurse here, specifically for infants. Today we'll be learning the basics of parenting."

She picked up the doll she had set on the desk and carried it as Tohru was still doing as she spoke, "First, I'll teach you how to carry your little one. Support the head and neck carefully as you hold him up and as you set him down… Be gentle as you carry him."

There was a quiet murmur as the couples did this. Tohru reluctantly handed the doll over to let Yuki try, even if they had learned and practiced this numerous times a couple of months ago. Watching Yuki cradle the doll, she smiled contently. They were obviously the more experienced ones in this field. Tohru grimaced when she heard a soft thud. She stole a peek behind her and saw one of the dolls on the floor for a second before a young woman with a sheepish smile bent over to pick it up. The instructor looked at the woman exasperatedly, but she made no comment.

"Remember, do not shake your baby, ever. This is not how to wake your child or how to play with him. Shaking your newborn can kill your child. It harms the brain. Try tickling it instead."

Muted talking continued to flutter around the room with a few gasps of shock. Never having heard this before, Tohru stared up at the teacher with wide eyes. She filled her brain with reminders not to shake her baby. Yuki patted her back reassuringly. He doubted that she even had it in herself to wake a baby in such a rough manner, regardless of whether she knew this bit of information or not. However, Tohru still seemed to believe she was capable of this cruelty when she wouldn't even let him kill a spider.

"You don't have to fuss over that. You're too gentle," Yuki assured her.

Tohru nodded, not very convinced. Yuki shook his head in disbelief as he set the baby on his lap, wondering if he'd learn something that he hadn't already learned after reading every book on pregnancy and babies he could find.

The instructor sighed when she noticed a man laughing as he tossed one of the dolls to another man across the room. She was even more appalled to see their wives do nothing about this maltreatment. She seemed offended to find them bored enough to begin a game of catch with a baby. Of course, they had been in here longer than she had, but she doubted they had been here for over half an hour. She just hoped they wouldn't dare to try that with a real baby.

"Don't be rough with your newborn. He's not suited for such activity yet, and always, always make sure your child is secured in the stroller, carrier, car seat, and what not."

"We need those, don't we?" Tohru whispered to Yuki.

"I've got it taken care of."

Tohru cocked her head to the side, surprised to hear this, but he told her no more of where he was keeping these things or what he had bought exactly. She was sure, however, that he had gotten more furniture than was necessary as he had already done with clothes and toys. Tohru didn't even know when he found the time to go shopping. He never left her side, and whenever they went shopping, he had never come out of a store with something large enough to be furniture of any sort. Yuki always managed to surprise her, so it shouldn't have shocked her to learn of this. He would have rather gone shopping at midnight than to let her know how much he had paid for everything.

She shook her head and gave her attention back to the nurse when she remembered where she was, hoping she hadn't been spacing out for too long.

"Remember to love your child. Spend time with him. This is vital in emotional development and growth. They need someone who will love them. Hug them, cradle them, stroke them, sing to them, talk to them… But be careful. Children are sensitive. Always be gentle, and be considerate. Lights shouldn't be too bright and sounds not too loud."

Yuki watched Tohru's face furrow with concentration as she struggled to take mental notes of every word that came out of the instructor's mouth. He tried to tell her not to stress about it too much, but she wouldn't listen. He already knew she'd be a perfect mother, even if she hadn't attended this class. It was unnecessary for her. She was a natural. He just wanted someone to come with him. Yuki couldn't doubt her parenting ability, but he wasn't so sure about his.

The nurse came along again, this time with a bag of diapers and a box of baby wipes. She gave every couple two diapers and set the box of wipes in the center of the room, right beside Tohru. Tohru scooted away from the box of wipes after grabbing one for herself, pressing against Yuki as others made their way towards her to get to the box. Feeling the shivers crawl down her back, Tohru knew everyone was looking at her again. For once, she perfectly understood how a caged animal on display felt. She was the rare spectacle being exhibited, and nobody was shy with his gazes and comments. She didn't even understand their fascination with her. Tohru doubted she was the first pregnant teenager they had seen before.

"To change a diaper, remember you need a clean one, a wash cloth or diaper wipes, and possibly more if you are using cloth diapers."

She kneeled down on the floor in front of the plastic baby and pulled out a diaper for herself.

"Lay your baby down like this, on his back, and take off the diaper. Carefully clean off your baby. If he has a rash, you must put on ointment. A rash typically is red in color and may be covered in small bumps. If you don't wish for your child to have a rash, consider changing the diapers often, and you may want to try applying a diaper rash cream. But be careful, if the rash lasts for more than a couple of days, contact a doctor."

Everyone watched carefully as the diaper was put on then taken off before sauntering back to their imitation babies.

Tohru set to work, laying her baby on the floor gingerly and wiping the plastic skin off before slipping the diaper on. She smiled and glanced up at the instructor for a nod of approval before she took it off to give Yuki a try. His came out less neat, slightly crooked on the baby, but it stayed on, and it didn't seem to be wrapped around too tightly. Despite this, the nurse seemed to be smiling more broadly than she had done for Tohru. Yuki laughed, seeing his work hadn't improved much since the first time he had tried this.

When they looked back up at the nurse, she had a stack of tubs on her desk where the bag of diapers used to be. Copying everyone else, Yuki stood up and fetched one of the plastic tubs. They all waited silently as the instructor filled her tub with a few inches of water. She set it on the floor and then beckoned them all over. She eyed each of them, making sure they had the level of water memorized before holding the tub out and making each of them feel the temperature.

"Bathe your child a couple of times a week. Don't bathe him too much or his skin will be dry. You'll have to give him a sponge bath for the first couple of weeks, between one to four, or until the umbilical cord falls off and the navel is healed. You'll need a washcloth, baby soap and shampoo, a soft brush, and a baby tub filled with a couple of inches of warm water, a diaper, and clothes."

She dismissed them for a few minutes to get the needed materials from a shelf nearby and then to get in line for water. After everyone was seated with a tub full of water and the bathing necessities beside them, she circled around, testing the water level and temperature. She had approved of everyone before stopping before Tohru and frowning after dipping her hand in the water. Tohru nearly gawked at the nurse's expression. She was positive her water temperature couldn't be greatly different from anyone else's, seeing as they had all filled their water from the same sink without altering the temperature.

"That's a little too hot," the nurse commented.

Tohru glanced up for a second at the instructor before placing her hand in the water as well, testing it to see what was too hot exactly. She didn't get a very good feel of the water before Yuki pulled her hand out quickly. He stroked her pink hand worriedly, relieved when she didn't seem the least bit pained by his grazes. Bewildered, Tohru watched Yuki's fingers stroke her hand, not sure why he was doing so. The nurse had done the same thing a minute ago, and Yuki hadn't seemed the least bit worried then.

"Why did you do that, Tohru? You could have burnt yourself!" Yuki scolded her gently.

"I want to know how hot the water is," Tohru responded simply.

"Go change your water, please, Miss…" the nurse trailed off.

"Honda," Yuki and Tohru both said at the same time.

"Honda-san then. Go change the water."

Tohru obediently went back to the sink and dumped the warm contents out before letting cooler water run back in. She walked back over with the tub and held it out to the instructor who gave her another disapproving look after feeling the water.

"Now that's too cold. Your baby will catch a cold."

Yuki stood up to help Tohru this time, but the nurse gestured to him to take a seat again with a downward wave of her hand. Tohru's smile died as she made her way back to the sink and emptied the tub again. She was even more careful this time, sure the water had to be perfect, but she was met with another unfavorable look when she returned. Tohru struggled to keep her face expression free as giggles and laughs drifted through the crowd staring at her. Flushing, she stood stiffly and gave Yuki a look that hopefully conveyed her desire for him to inhibit his obvious urge to defend her. He seemed to get her message as he stayed where he was silently.

"That's a bit too much water, Honda-san. Work on this at home before your baby comes and you injure him or her," she muttered before settling down in front of the room.

Tohru sat back down beside Yuki, a bit upset. Peering around the room, she could notice no difference between anyone else's water height compared to her own. Tohru took a deep breath before glancing at the clock, wishing she were at home already. She was relieved to find that there were less than twenty minutes left of this class. She would have left already, but she'd stay for Yuki, even though he looked ready to leave as well.

She could tell Yuki was a bit annoyed as well by the grip he had around her fingers, but he kept quiet as the instructor continued.

"Place your tub on a flat surface in a warm room. I suggest the changing table, a counter, or even the floor. Turn off the water before setting your child in. First, undress the baby, and wet your washcloth. Use this damp cloth to wipe his eyes, inner part of the eye to the outside. Repeat the process to the other eye with a clean section of the cloth. Then wipe off his nose and ears. With a little soap and your washcloth, carefully wipe his face and dry it. Next use the shampoo to wash his head. Then with soap, wash the rest of the body. Finally dry your child and dress him."

She waved them all off to go try on their own.

Tohru gently placed the plastic doll into the tub as if it were a real baby. Yuki watched as Tohru bathed the doll, nearly mesmerized by how much care she could put into washing something inanimate. All her motions were so gentle that he was sure she could wash cake and not have it disintegrate. She smiled and handed the wet baby to Yuki when she was done for him to dry. Tohru could only watch him for five minutes before taking the baby back with the towel and drying the spots he had missed.

Yuki chuckled at her. "Exactly why you're going to be the better parent."

"No, I'm not," Tohru denied embarrassedly.

"Are you kidding? I have no idea what I'm doing."

"B-But you read all those books…" Tohru pointed out.

"And you're the natural mother. I always knew that you'd be a perfect mother."

Tohru flushed, flattered but too timid to respond. She pulled her hand from his, placing it on the doll instead. Yuki laughed, pulling her back to him when she tried to scoot away from him. He kept his arm around her thin shoulders, locking her in place. Tohru gritted her teeth together, finding it difficult not to notice how the other occupants of the room were rolling their eyes. She stared straight ahead and focused all her attention on the words of the nurse.

"Please don't try to bathe your child in a tub before a month has past. A sponge bath will do for the first weeks, which will be similar to a tub bath, just not in a tub. Remember to constantly pour water over your child to keep it warm, and never leave it unattended in the tub."

The nurse eyed Tohru particularly as she stated her last sentence. Tohru's eyebrows knitted together in a sad manner. She didn't understand why the instructor had to doubt her parenting capabilities. Yuki thought she'd be a good mother, but the expert here obviously didn't agree with that. Tohru didn't know who to believe. She sighed, left with no place to keep her eyes now. Looking at Yuki would leave her flustered, and eyeing anyone else would upset her. She decided to stare at her shoes as she listened.

"The remains of the umbilical cord will change colors as it dries. Typically from a yellow shade to brown or black."

Tohru could hear comments of disgust after that had been said. She shied away as Yuki's fingers brushed against her navel. Yuki tightened his hold around her, pulling her back and resting his head on her shoulder. She could just imagine how red her cheeks were at the moment, especially with their own personal audience who were already muttering comments about them. Yuki released her and stopped leaning against her after a minute, sensing her discomfort. He was pleased to see her relax afterwards.

"Now feeding. Feed your child every couple of hours. He'll need around sixty to ninety millimeters of formula," the nurse told them all.

Yuki pressed down on Tohru's shoulder as she tried to get up to get a bottle from the box the nurse had just set down on the floor. He got up, retrieved one, and handed it to Tohru who took it excitedly. In school, they hadn't gotten a chance to practice feeding since the doll given out by Mayu was silenced with a turn of a key. For now, she was truly glad that Yuki had dragged her here, even if feeding a baby seemed self-explanatory.

"Since babies get air into their systems as they feed, you must burp your child. To burp your child, you may hold him up with his head resting on your shoulder or seat him on your lap. For the former, cradle his head as you pat his back with your other hand. For the latter, hold your infant's chest and head. Hold his chin and pat his back."

Tohru did as instructed, pretending to feed the baby for a couple of minutes before patting her hands lightly against the plastic back.

"Honda-san, don't pat quite so hardly. You don't need that much force to burp your child. Be more gentle."

Tohru let out a soft huff of frustration. She knew the woman seated a few feet beside her was nearly hitting the plastic doll, yet she was the one getting corrected. Tohru did her best not to let the frequent comments bother her and softened her pats. The nurse wandered off without any hints of satisfaction. Tohru frowned and handed the baby to Yuki. She folded her arms across her chest. Yuki took one glance at Tohru and patted her back instead of the doll's.

"Your child sleeps for sixteen hours a day at least in time frames of three to four hours. They need to feed every few hours because of the size of their stomachs. Don't let them go past five hours without feeding. Be ready to lose some sleep for, at least, the first three months. Lay your child on his back when he sleeps, and remember to switch the position of the head each night. From right to left or vice versa to avoid flat spots."

After saying that, the instructor lined up all the boxes and gestured for everyone to return everything. Yuki tossed everything back into its rightful place before helping Tohru up and starting for the door. She gripped his hand firmly as they squeezed through the crowd forming around the boxes. Tohru could have sworn she felt someone shudder when her shoulder grazed against his. She managed to brush it off, but her teeth were still clenched together as they neared the door.

"I don't want to come here again," Tohru told Yuki quietly.

Yuki laughed, "I can tell."

"So you're not going to make me come again?"

"Of course not. I love you, Tohru. I wouldn't make you do anything you didn't want to."

"I-I love you too…" Tohru whispered into his ear in a voice hardly audible even to him.

Tohru flinched when she heard an odd cough sound seemingly filled with disapproval. She glanced back at the group of women who were currently shaking their heads. She froze where she was, a hurt expression across her face. Yuki paused and turned around with her, switching his gaze from Tohru's face to the adults a few feet from where they were. His eyes narrowed in fury, but nobody other than Tohru seemed to notice. They were all too busy criticizing his relationship with Tohru.

"Misusing the word _love_."

"What can you expect from teenagers?"

"What else do you think he told her to get her to conceive the child with him?"

"We are not misusing it!" Tohru denied hotly.

"And what would you know about love? You're only… seventeen?" a woman guessed with raised eyebrows.

"Almost," Tohru admitted honestly before adding, "But I don't need to be older than that to know what love is."

Noticing the daggers in the rest of the pregnant women's eyes, Yuki took Tohru's hand and led her out of the room before anyone could lay a finger on her or even respond to Tohru's statement. He didn't stop in his hasty walking until they were safely out the hospital doors even though he hadn't heard anyone chasing after them. Yuki finally slowed at a bench outside and let a tired Tohru sit down as he stood guard. She giggled, but that didn't erase the look of horror across her face.

"What's the matter, Tohru?" Yuki inquired, noticing her change in demeanor.

"I don't know what got into me… It must be the pregnancy," Tohru whispered embarrassedly.

He chuckled, "Then maybe you should stay pregnant. You need to stand up for yourself more often."


	28. Week 28

The door bell rang early in the morning, announcing the presence of an unexpected visitor. Tohru looked up from where she stood by the stove, cooking breakfast. She quickly turned off the stove and hurried over to the door as the bell rang a second time. Yuki followed after her from where he had been sitting in the kitchen. Tohru opened the door with a smile, clearly shocked to find Hatori standing there. Yuki was puzzled by Hatori's presence too. The black car in the road was still running, meaning Hatori hadn't come for a long visit, but he didn't have any briefcase with him either, so it couldn't be for an appointment Yuki had missed. They exchanged puzzled looks.

"Good morning, Hatori-san…?" Tohru greeted him with a bow.

"Honda-kun, I don't wish to frighten you, but about your pregnancy-" Hatori started to say.  
"What about my baby?!" Tohru squeaked nervously, unintentionally cutting Hatori off.

"There's nothing to be concerned about if you're worried about your child's health. You look fine, but if you'd let me continue, I want to tell you that from the start, Akito was never fond of the idea when Shigure told her-"

"Shigure told her?!" Yuki snapped angrily.

Yuki gripped the edge of the door tightly and would have shattered the wooden structure into tiny splinters, but the gentle touch of Tohru's fingers against his knuckles made his fist loosen. He released the door to satisfy Tohru, but that didn't stop him from formulating plans of different ways to slaughter Shigure. Seeing as Shigure felt the need to tease him and Tohru about her pregnancy on a daily basis, Yuki had been coming up with a new way to murder his cousin every day since Tohru got pregnant. In fact, he was sure he had enough ideas to write a book he'd entitle: '101 Ways to Kill Shigure Sohma'. However, this was the first time he seriously felt the urge to follow through with his plan.

Hatori ignored the violent look in Yuki's eyes and continued to explain why he was here, "Yes, you should know better than to tell him anything until you absolutely must… What I'm trying to say is that Akito is terribly angry, and she would have come to see you ages ago to let you both hear her opinion, but as her doctor, I forbade it. However, now that a couple of months have passed since her child was born, I no longer have many more reasons to restrict her from seeing you two."

"A child?!" Yuki and Tohru both blurted out instantly, equally stunned.

"Yes… Her son is a few months old now," Hatori responded nonchalantly.

"I thought Akito was a guy," Yuki muttered.

After a quick shake of his head to respond to Yuki's thought, Hatori picked up a small car seat by his feet that neither Tohru nor Yuki had noticed until now. Sweeping the blue blanket off, he revealed a small infant sleeping inside. Tohru gasped in pure glee, instantly taking the small child out. She held the baby against her chest and stroked the thin black hair across his head. Unlike Tohru who was cooing at the small child, Yuki plainly stared with raised eyebrows. The baby fidgeted in Tohru's arms as she accidentally woke him.

Tohru smiled, "He's adorable!"

"But he has bad genes."

"Who's the father?" Yuki pressed curiously.

"Who other than Shigure?" Hatori answered flatly.

With a face of disgust, Yuki shook his head. He grimaced and leaned away from the tiny being lying in Tohru's arms. The baby's large, coal, black eyes followed Yuki's slow movements. Staring into those dark, ominous orbs, Yuki instantly decided the child looked more like his mother than his father. Noticing Yuki's posture tense, Tohru glanced over at him questioningly. She wasn't bothered by who the boy's parents were, despite the fact that she had been fretting over Akito's appearance since the beginning of her pregnancy.

"I thought you both should know…" Hatori trailed off.

"I guess it's not the most shocking thing I've heard- Wait. Never mind. Actually, it is the most shocking thing I've heard," Yuki nodded to himself.

"Poor Akito-sama… Shigure-san doesn't help her with the baby?" Tohru asked sadly.

"Well, that's why I thought you two should know. Shigure will be _taking care _of the baby today, and since Kyo is never home anymore, I thought it'd be nice to let you both know that you'll be taking care of the baby for a few hours today."

"What?!" Yuki asked in shock.

Tohru stared with wide eyes, struck speechless by the news. Hatori patted each on their shoulder sympathetically. Yuki and Tohru both took another look at the child holding onto Tohru's shirt. Neither could disagree before Shigure wandered over. Turning his head and burrowing his face into Tohru's soft, pink sweater, the baby almost seemed to shy away from his father's sudden appearance. Yuki chuckled, pitying the fact that Shigure couldn't even get his own son to like him, but secretly he feared his daughter would treat him as this little boy was treating Shigure.

"Haa-san! What a surprise to see you here- You brought that _monster_ over?!" Shigure cried in horror.

"Shigure-san! You can't call your son a monster!" Tohru exclaimed.

"Yes, I can!" Shigure disagreed.

"How would you know? You only took care of him for what? A total of five minutes?" Hatori guessed critically.

"Yes, but in those five minutes he peed in my eye!" Shigure whined childishly.

"He did?" Yuki inquired in a surprised voice.

As soon as Shigure nodded in confirmation, Yuki burst out in laughter. The boy grinned widely, as if he knew what they were all referring to. Even Hatori cracked a smile at this, though it was just a tiny upturn of his lips and hardly noticeable. Tohru was the only oblivious one, not quite sure why they found this funny, but she beamed regardless. Her smile faltered when she noticed Shigure distancing himself from his own son. Still grinning, Yuki placed his finger on the child's palm, letting the tiny fingers enclose his.

"I think I'm going to like this little guy," Yuki smiled.

Tohru apprehensively tried to defend the little boy, "Oh that's not his fault, Shigure-san. He had no idea what he was doing."

"I still got pee in my eye!" Shigure protested.

Shigure dramatically pointed at his left eye. His face darkened as he remembered that fateful Wednesday afternoon. It was a couple of weeks since Akito had given birth, and being the _good_ father he was, Shigure had gone over to the main house to visit. Akito had been outraged at how long it had taken him to get there, and as a form of punishment, she had forced him to change the diaper. He hadn't minded much at first, despite a few complaints. Shigure had been doing everything quite well, until his son decided to urinate while his diaper was off. After one short visit, Shigure never went back, leaving a spiteful Akito to care for their son by herself.

"What's his name?" Tohru asked, changing the subject to a much lighter one.

"Akira… Akito decided to name him after her father," Hatori answered.

"What a pretty name…" Tohru commented.

"Have you thought of a name for your daughter yet?" Hatori inquired.

"Ah, no. Not yet. Yuki-kun and I want to wait until we actually see her face," Tohru breathed happily.

Tohru and Yuki had tried to brainstorm names a while ago, but after an hour of discussing the topic, the list they were supposedly formulating was still blank. It wasn't that they couldn't agree upon a name, but they weren't sure which would fit best. They had only seen their daughter through ultrasounds, but those didn't give them any clear indications as to what she really looked like. They could only see their daughter as a blackish-blue fetus. Neither of them wanted to name a child they hadn't seen yet, so they had given up.

Hatori glanced at his watch before saying, "I have to go… Someone will be around in the evening or afternoon to pick Akira-kun up… I wish you the best of luck."

As soon as Hatori's car pulled out of the driveway and disappeared around the corner of the street, Shigure fled the room and locked himself in his office. Tohru and Yuki stared at the shut door in surprise as they listened to what sounded like the moving of furniture. Yuki glared angrily, knowing they'd receive no help from him. He frowned in disappointment. There went his plans to take Tohru out for the day. They had yet to go on a date that had nothing to do with their baby. Yuki sighed and stepped out the door to retrieve the baby bag and car seat from the porch. When he returned, he stared uneasily at Tohru, who gave him a similar expression back.

"What should we do?" Yuki mumbled.

"Umm… Take care of Akira-chan?" Tohru responded bluntly.

"Are you sure? It'll be hard."

"B-But we'll have to soon anyways," she pointed out.

He nodded unenthusiastically. Tohru's expression soon mirrored his, and her forehead creased with worry. She shifted Akira anxiously, wondering what she had to do to make Yuki happy again. Tohru hated to see such an expression across his face, though he still looked shockingly beautiful like that. Beauty wasn't enough for her to deal with the tight squeezing of her heart. Nothing was worth his pain and sadness. It might have seemed odd to others how she grieved over Yuki's anguish since they had only gone out for about a month, but she had been in love with him long before her pregnancy.

"You don't want to? I can do it by myself if you'd like-" Tohru began to offer.

He placed a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"No, no. It's fine. I just don't want you to overwork yourself… And I'm not sure what to do either," Yuki admitted sheepishly.

"You must know more than I do after reading all of those books," Tohru smiled, sure of his knowledge and skills as a parent.

"That doesn't mean I'm not bad at it."

"I'll help you. Don't worry," Tohru assured him, "Here."

She held out the baby to Yuki and set Akira in his awaiting arms. Tohru stared at the awkward hold Yuki had around the child for a moment before grasping his hands and repositioning them gently. Yuki sighed helplessly when she finished. He doubted he could remember exactly where she had placed his hands. He was aware that he was supposed to support the head, but his hands never seemed to be in the correct place. From the looks of it, the baby hadn't been very comfortable at first either, but that upset expression instantly faded once Tohru had finished correcting the position of his arms.

"See? It's not that bad, right?" Tohru inquired softly.

"Actually, it is. If you didn't help me out, the baby would be wailing already."

"Oh, you don't know that!" Tohru disagreed.

"You saw how his little face twisted and scrunched up, didn't you?"

"Let's try again."

Tohru took the infant from Yuki and held him for a moment before holding Akira out to Yuki again. Yuki took the child from her carefully and tried his best to place his hands in the same spots that Tohru had moved them. He didn't see Tohru cringe in horror, so he assumed he had done a good enough job. She had never been talented at concealing her thoughts. They both watched intently as the baby squirmed and began to cry. Yuki's face fell a bit. He was aware that his parenting skills weren't nearly as high as Tohru's, though his knowledge surpassed hers, but he had been hoping he could do this right the second time.

Yuki sighed, "I told you so."

"I'm sure he's just hungry!"

She rushed over to the light blue bag by the door and dug around for the box of baby formula. Yuki followed her into the kitchen with the sobbing baby in hand. Tohru was done mixing the formula and had the bottle filled when he approached her. She stuck it in the microwave for a few seconds before taking it out. She tapped the tip of the bottle against her wrist a couple of times, testing the temperature of the contents, before handing it to Yuki. Yuki took it from her hesitantly, holding the bottle along with the baby uncomfortably.

"You don't have to hold onto the bottle," Tohru laughed, "Give it to him."

Yuki did as she instructed cautiously, trying not to lose his grip on the child as he freed one hand to place the bottle in Akira's tiny hands. Tohru smiled as Akira grasped the bottle and held it to his lips weakly. She stepped closer to Yuki and took the bottle from his hand, helping Akira support it to give Yuki his hand back. Yuki sighed in relief as she did so and flexed his fingers in an exaggerated gesture of exhaustion that made Tohru giggle.

"You don't have to stand the whole time. Let's go sit!" Tohru suggested happily as she towed Yuki over to the dining room.

She kept her hands over the baby warily in case Yuki lost his hold. Yuki wasn't sure whether she was doing so out of doubt of his parenting capability or out of her naturally concerned nature. He shrugged it off and sat down with her before the table. She lowered her hands as he laid the infant down on his lap. Yuki embarrassedly sat there, keeping his eyes on Akira as Tohru leaned towards him with a smile. She had always been flustered over intimacy and displays of affection. It surprised him that she was sitting close enough that her side was touching his. She probably didn't notice, but he did.

"See? It's not that bad, right?" Tohru smiled.

He began to nod in agreement, but before he could, Akira smacked the bottom of the bottle, sending the half-filled bottle flying into Yuki's jaw, as if to contradict Tohru's words. Tohru squeaked fretfully as the baby began to wail. Yuki tensely eyed the crying infant in his lap, wondering how the little boy could throw the bottle when he seemed barely able to hold it up minutes ago.

"Are you okay?!" Tohru gasped.

Tohru nervously brushed her fingers against Yuki's reddening chin, relieved to find that he didn't wince out of pain, before she noticed the bottle on the floor. She hopped up and snatched the leaking container off the ground before racing off to the kitchen for a dishrag to clean up the mess and an icepack for Yuki's injury. Yuki watched in bewilderment as she raced around frantically. She had left before he could even answer her question and was back before he could even stand up to help her.

Within a minute, she was back beside him, pressing a bag of ice wrapped in a towel to his chin. She peered anxiously at him for a moment until she remembered the other items at her side. Nearly dropping the icepack, she handed that to him as she gave Akira a new bottle and sat back down before the small puddle of baby formula. Tohru scrubbed the wet carpet with her wet rag tensely.

"Tohru, calm down…" Yuki ordered gently.

Tohru shook her head, "I have to clean up the mess! Shigure-san will be mad if his carpet is dirty!"

"It's Shigure's son's fault, not yours," Yuki reminded her, "Please, help me now? I don't think he's hungry anymore."

Yuki held up the child and the bottle Akira had rejected. Tohru glanced down at the cleaned mess before smiling and setting aside the cloth. She took the baby from Yuki gladly and patted his back softly. Akira's cries finally died down as he let out a soft burp. He let out a happy chirp-like squeal as he turned his head and tried reaching for the bottle. After seconds of failure, he thrashed about impatiently. Tohru laughed and took the bottle Yuki was holding out to her. Once he had his bottle in his hands, Akira snuggled against Tohru and drank hungrily.

"I'll feed him now, but you have to hold the icepack onto your chin, or it'll get swollen!" Tohru warned him worriedly.

"I'm fine," Yuki assured her but did as he was told to sooth her concern.

He watched her cradle Akira lovingly, rocking him back and forth when he was finished drinking until his eyes drooped, and he fell asleep quickly. Yuki was amazed to see the fussy child drift into slumber so easily. It only seemed to be moments ago that Akira was sobbing and tossing things about. His lips turned upward at the edges, but Yuki couldn't help but envy the baby. Tohru would never dare to hold him as she would to Akira. She hardly even allowed him to embrace her, even if he could now. He knew she was too shy, but jealousy wasn't an emotion of logic.

"Umm, Yuki-kun?" she called for his attention quietly, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Where's Akira-chan going to sleep? Hatori-san didn't leave a crib or anything, and I'd hate to leave him in the car seat."

"And I'd hate for you to have to hold him all day. So he can sleep in my bed for now," Yuki suggested.

"Oh no, no, no! I couldn't possibly do that! Where would you sleep?" Tohru asked.

"Akira-san should be gone by then."

Tohru continued to chew on her lip uncertainly. Suddenly she grinned as a solution came to her, "Then he can sleep in my bed! I wouldn't want him to make a mess in your bed!"

Yuki groaned under his breath. He eyed the sleeping baby with a jealous glint to his soft, gray eyes. Tohru had never offered to share her bed with him. As unreasonable it was to be envious of a boy that hadn't even lived for a year yet, he couldn't free himself from this feeling of envy. There had been a period, near the onset of her pregnancy, when she'd come to his room at night and sleep in his bed because of insomnia, but she wouldn't even set foot in his room at night anymore now that they were dating. If he happened to be in his room when she wanted to wish him a good night, she'd do so with her feet firmly in the hallway and would race off before he could even look up at her.

"And let a boy sleep in your bed?" Yuki inquired in what was meant to be a teasing tone.

"He's just a baby, Yuki," Tohru assured him, missing his joke.

"That doesn't change the fact that he's a boy, so he'll sleep in my room."

Tohru didn't argue further and stood, carrying the baby to Yuki's room. Yuki held the door open for her before stepping to his bed and making a barrier around the edges of the mattress with his blanket. Tohru set Akira down near the wall, safely away from the edges. She peered at the feeble, short barricade uneasily. Tohru had no idea how much a baby moved in his sleep, but a blanket surely wouldn't stop him if he were to roll off the edge. Sensing her distress, Yuki glanced at his makeshift walls and added his pillows to the pile.

"Is that good?" he asked.

Tohru nodded, "I think I'll stay here though. Just in case."

"We can finish your homework here, if you'd like," Yuki offered.

"Yes, please. I don't get the math homework at all," she admitted softly.

Yuki nodded before leaving to get her backpack from her room. He returned and sat beside her at his desk where he set to explaining the concepts to her. Tohru chewed on her bottom lip as she listened and added to her notes. Yuki patiently watched her try a problem and helped her when she started to divert from the rules he had just told her. They kept at this for another hour as Akira slept soundly, but when Tohru was finally starting to grasp the information, the door swung open. Shigure stood there with a gaping expression and thrust his finger out towards them.

"We do not close doors in this house!" he gasped.

Flabbergasted, Tohru shook her head with a blush, denying his unspoken assumption. Unlike Tohru, Yuki just turned to Shigure with a stiff, cold smile. The one aspect of babysitting Akira that Yuki had been looking forward to was Shigure's absence. He had at least expected that in return for this tiring task, but his cousin was ungrateful, as usual, denying Yuki his reward of peace and quiet for the duration of Akira's stay. Yuki would have forced Shigure to take Akira back if Tohru didn't seem so happy caring for the baby. So for Tohru, he forced himself to be as polite as he could.

"Shigure, what does it look like we're doing?" Yuki questioned curtly.

"Don't try to conceal your dirty actions! Just because you two are dating does not mean you may engage in such acts under my roof!" Shigure shouted, trying his best to hide the playfulness from his tone.

"We're not hiding anything. Now get out of my room before we stop taking care of _your_ son for you," Yuki threatened.

Shigure tensed for a second before fleeing from the room and hid in his office.

Regardless of his father's disappearance, Akira started to stir. Seconds later he was sitting upright with a scowl across his tiny face. His faint eyebrows drew together with the rest of his face. Tohru dropped her pencil and rushed over to his side immediately. He kept his face scrunched together for a few minutes before he relaxed. He smiled momentarily before flailing his arms around and starting to cry. Unable to figure out what happened, Tohru clutched the baby to her chest, patting his back gently. She glanced back at Yuki quizzically until a stench reached her nose, and everything started to make sense.

"He needs a diaper change…" Tohru trailed off embarrassedly.

"Yes, I can tell from here," Yuki agreed.

"I'll go change him!" Tohru decided as she rushed out of the room.

Yuki followed her and found her seated before the baby bag with Akira lying on her lap. He knelt down beside her and helped her dig through the filled bag for the diapers buried under jars of baby food, wipes, towels, and seemingly everything else in the bag. Tohru beamed in gratitude when he handed her one. She gently laid Akira on his back and unbuttoned the bottom of his tiny, red one-piece outfit. Tohru flushed slightly before she began to undo the diaper.

Yuki laughed, "If you're going to blush at that, it's a good thing we're having a girl."

"I'm not blushing!" Tohru denied vehemently.

Ignoring her denials, Yuki wrapped a tassel of her hair around his finger, "You're really cute, you know that?"

"I-I am n- Thank y-you," Tohru stuttered.

He would have said more, but Akira's crying reminded them of his diaper crisis. Tohru looked back down at the child and started to peel off the tape at the edges when Shigure rushed into the room. He caught Tohru's arms and pulled her hand away from the diaper with large frightened eyes. Tohru stared at him with a startled expression. Yuki was about to rip Shigure's fingers from Tohru's skin, but Shigure released the girl once he was sure she had stopped trying to change Akira's diaper.

"Wait! Tohru-kun! Don't release that little demon yet! Let me salvage my newspaper first!" Shigure yelled.

Shigure darted across the room and emotionally swept his newspaper off from the dining room table before rushing back to the safety of his office. Yuki rolled his eyes at Shigure's childish display before returning his attention to Tohru. Her adorable, pink blush and faint smile had been replaced by a sad downturn of her mouth. She was obviously upset to see how Shigure was avoiding Akira. Tohru glanced down at said child, who had quieted down and seemed to be frowning along with her. He looked ready to cry again.

"Don't worry! Shigure-san will definitely take care of you next time!" Tohru reassured the infant.

"Don't get his hopes up, Tohru," Yuki muttered.

She peered at Yuki before sighing and finished changing the diaper. Tohru sat upright when she was done, smiling when Akira clung to her.

She giggled, "He likes me."

"Who doesn't?"

She looked back at the baby in attempt to conceal her blush, but Akira tried to squirm away when Tohru reached toward him to button his pants back up. He crawled down the hallway with his pants dragging behind him and his white diaper showing. Tohru giggled as she scurried after him and carried him back to where Yuki sat with an amused expression. Akira struggled when she tried to set him in Yuki's arms, waving his tiny arms around fiercely. When a tiny fist collided with her round abdomen, she could feel tiny kicks return the attack. Feeling the soft motion by his feet, Akira started kicking back. The only problem with their retaliation was that only Tohru was feeling any pain.

Yuki instantly pulled Akira out of Tohru's hold, despite how Akira started to wail and scream.

"Are you okay?" Yuki questioned fretfully.

"Yes! I'm fine, but I don't think those two will get along very well."

"Those two?" Yuki asked quizzically.

"Our daughter and Akira-chan. They're fighting already, and she hasn't even been born yet," Tohru stated worriedly.

Yuki simply laughed. He knew he shouldn't be laughing at her concern, but if she were truly judging violent natures by kicks in the womb, their daughter would be notorious for her fighting. She'd be worse than Kyo, despite her sweet natured mother. Yuki smiled at the thought. He doubted it was even possible for their daughter to be anything other than kind and gentle. It'd be too humorous otherwise. Tohru didn't have it in her to raise an aggressive daughter. On the other hand, Yuki could believe Akira would be a bit violent with Akito as his mother and by the way the little boy had his fingers locked around Yuki's silver locks.

"At least we know she can defend herself, unlike someone I know," Yuki teased her lightly.

"I-I'm sorry!" Tohru apologized frantically.

"That's not something to apologize for," he shook his head, "But please take him before I go bald."

Yuki was holding onto Akira with one arm and trying to wrench open his small fists that were locked around his hair as gently as he could manage. Flustered, Tohru squatted down before him and helped Yuki wrestle the tiny fingers open and took the child away from Yuki. She bowed apologetically to Yuki several times for not noticing the harm Akira was causing. Despite Yuki's frequent protests and urges for her to stop, she didn't stop until Akira started to fidget and started to cry. In attempt to soothe the child in order to fix his pants, Tohru set him on the ground.

However, as soon as his tiny legs made contact with the wooden flooring, Akira scurried off, zooming across the floor before Tohru could manage to even snap one button shut. Tohru hopelessly followed Akira as he crawled under the table and plopped himself down in the center. She knelt down and reached for him, but kneeling down proved to be difficult while she was seven months pregnant. Yuki grinned before standing and walking over to her to help, but as soon as he got there, the tiny child scampered away. Yuki sighed and helped Tohru to her feet before looking for the now missing baby.

He led Tohru down the hallway in which he had seen Akira go, but the child was no where in sight. Tohru gaped as she peeked into the laundry room and unnecessarily checked to see if Akira was in the washing machine or dryer. She dug through a nearby basket full of folded, clean laundry waiting to be returned before rushing out of the small room. Yuki followed her apprehensively as she slid open Shigure's office door, forgetting her usual polite knock in her anxiety.

"Shigure-san! Akira-chan is missing!" she confessed frantically.

"What?" Shigure asked, too shocked to show any other emotion.

By the time Shigure had voiced his question, Tohru had already darted away.

Yuki glared at the elder, "Go find your son before Tohru wears herself out."

Shigure returned to his office momentarily. Yuki stood outside, bewildered by the loud sounds of rummaging. After a few minutes, the noises made sense as Shigure reluctantly returned with a surgical mask and goggles adorning his face. As he stepped out of his office, he pulled a shower cap onto his head before slipping on rubber gloves. With all of that protective gear on, Shigure was hardly recognizable. Yuki coughed and covered his mouth with his hands in attempt to choke down a chuckle. He shook his head, hiding an amused grin.

"What are you wearing?" Yuki questioned.

"You'd want to be protected as well if you ever got peed on," Shigure huffed.

"You forgot your biohazard suit," Yuki smirked before darting off to find Tohru.

Hurrying up the stairs, Yuki caught sight of Tohru speeding out of the bathroom. He reached her just in time to catch her as she slipped on the tile flooring. Tohru's cheeks instantly darkened. She was humiliated to have been caught in a moment of clumsiness. If that wasn't embarrassing enough, she just happened to be lying against Yuki's chest with his arms supporting her under her knees and behind her upper back. She averted his gaze, staring at a red mark on her leg that would soon turn into a bruise after she had run into the sink instead.

"Calm down before you hurt yourself," Yuki ordered.

"I-I have to find Akira-chan! He's going to be hungry soon! He didn't finish his bottle earlier. Maybe he's sleepy! He didn't finish his nap either," Tohru rambled fretfully.

"He'll cry then and show us where he is then."

"Let me go, Yuki-kun. It's all my fault!" Tohru cried.

"It's not your fault. We can look together. He couldn't have gone too far."

Tohru nodded, quickly swiping newfound tears from her face. Yuki stood and set her back down onto her feet carefully, keeping his hand on her shoulder to keep her from tumbling down again. She shifted timidly away from him and started to head back towards the hallway and away from the stairs. Yuki grasped her hand and tugged her back towards him, not sure why she was even bothering to check up here again. Clearly she had checked every crevice in the place by what he had heard of her search from downstairs. He had heard every pitter patter of her steps and even the moving of light furniture.

"Let's go look downstairs," Yuki suggested.

"Wait! I haven't checked your room yet," Tohru told him.

"Do you really think he could have gotten up the stairs? He's so tiny," Yuki pointed out doubtfully.

"The stairs aren't steep. I'm sure he could if he tried."

Yuki didn't press the matter further and walked with her to his room. He grimaced as they entered his messy room. He had been planning to clean for weeks, but he never got around to it. The pregnancy kept him occupied, especially since he felt obligated to read every book and article he found on pregnancy. Tohru's face scrunched together with worry as she stared at the piles of dirty clothes, mountains of books, paper scattered around the floor, and knocked over plants. If Akira were hidden somewhere in this room, she wasn't sure they'd ever find him.

"I'm sure it didn't look this bad a few minutes ago," Yuki mumbled.

"Maybe he's in here then!" Tohru exclaimed excitedly.

"But where would we start?" Yuki asked helplessly.

Tohru tilted her head to the side, unsure, before she left the room. Yuki watched her go, bemused by her actions. He decided to stay by the door instead of follow her to make sure Akira didn't leave the room if he were in here after all. Tohru returned with a couple of empty laundry baskets in her arms. Yuki peered at the baskets quizzically, not quite getting how empty baskets would help find Akira. It wasn't as if Akira found them interesting and would bound to them as soon as he laid eyes on them. Thinking too deeply of the containers, he missed the point until Tohru vocalized her plan.

"Let's clean!" she chirped.

Taking another glance at the mess, Yuki sucked in a deep breath before taking one of the baskets from Tohru. She smiled at him before settling down before a hill of clothes. She began tossing the dirty garments into the basket gently, checking to see if a baby was somewhere underneath. Yuki shut the door before working through the other piles. After clearing the floor of clothing, there was still no sign of the child they were supposed to be babysitting. Worriedly, Yuki picked up his scattered schoolbooks as Tohru gathered his notebooks and random sheets of paper from the floor.

"Where could he be?" Tohru squeaked.

"Right here," Yuki laughed, pointing to where his blanket was lying on the floor.

Tohru stepped forward curiously, beaming when she saw tiny hands gripping the edge of Yuki's comforter. Peeling the rest of the blanket off the baby, she found Akira chewing on the blanket silently. Yuki wasn't sure how he felt at the moment. He was happy to find Akira and see Tohru relaxed, but he was also a bit irritated to see a large drool stain darkening his blanket. He knew Tohru would wash it, even if he insisted that she didn't have to, but he was sure there would be small holes from the tiny teeth that were beginning to protrude from Akira's gums. Taking another look at Tohru's smile, he decided nothing could upset him when she looked like that.

"He must be hungry," Tohru giggled.

"Or teething," Yuki reminded her.

She nodded as she gently pried his mouth and hands from the blanket.

"I'm going to see if he is hungry," Tohru murmured.

Yuki walked beside her as they descended down the stairs. Tohru smiled when she noticed Shigure on his hands and knees, looking for Akira in the kitchen.

"Shigure-san! Look!" Tohru cried, holding the little boy up.

Shigure peered at her through his goggles and smiled in relief, though neither Yuki nor Tohru could see, thanks to the mask he kept on. He stood and pulled off his protective accessories with a sigh. Shigure tried to keep an indifferent expression across his face as he eyed Akira, but even the oblivious Tohru could see that Shigure had honestly been concerned. She was ecstatic to find that Shigure truly cared for his son. It wouldn't be right for Akira to miss out on a father figure with Shigure right here. With her newly discovered information, she decided to encourage some bonding between the two.

Tohru approached him with a smile, "Would you like to feed him?"

"Umm… Sure!" Shigure responded, feigning willingness.

"Hold on then! I'll go get food for Akira-chan," Tohru said cheerfully.

She set him into Shigure's arms before leaving. Shigure gripped Akira's abdomen nervously, eyeing him with a fearful expression. Waiting for Shigure to correct his positioning, Yuki raised his eyebrows expectantly, but Shigure didn't move a finger. Yuki chuckled, amused to find someone who was even worse at parenting than he was. He took Akira from Shigure's arm and held him with one arm as he rearranged Shigure's arms as Tohru had done for him earlier.

Tohru found a small jar of baby food and went back to the kitchen happily. She smiled to find Shigure seated before the table with Akira cradled in his arms. Yuki was sitting across him with his chin seated on his hands with an entertained expression. He was having fun watching Shigure's face morph with horror each time Akira moved. Shigure looked ready to dart away and abandon Akira on the small cushion, but before he could, Tohru returned with the jar opened and a small spoon in her hands.

"Here you go!" Tohru sang.

She sat down between the two men and laced her fingers together. Yuki and Tohru watched, awaiting a move from Shigure, but he just stared at the spoon.

"Shigure, that's called a spoon. You put your hands around it and scoop food from the jar with the round end," Yuki explained sarcastically.

Shigure picked up the spoon mechanically and wadded the spoon full of the mushy, orange mix. Tohru gasped and grabbed the spoon back before Shigure shoved the overflowing spoon into Akira's awaiting mouth. She slid the spoon out of his hold but kept the utensil within his eyesight. Shigure blinked at her, not understanding the purpose of her actions. Yuki joined Shigure in his examination of the spoon as they both tried to figure out what was the matter. Tohru gave them a couple of seconds before caving in and just telling them.

"Not that much, Shigure-san!" Tohru exclaimed.

"How much then?" Shigure asked hopelessly.

Tohru dumped out more than half of the contents from the spoon before handing it back to Shigure. Shigure took it from her and aimed the utensil at Akira's mouth, but the baby kept his mouth firmly shut. Unsure of what else to do, he tried again, but his son turned his head to the other side. Shigure could even make out the sound of a rebellious grunt coming from his son. He glanced helplessly back at Tohru, tacitly begging her to take over. Parenting wasn't of interest to him. The only people he cared for were high school girls and women in general.

"Tohru-kun! He's not hungry!" Shigure whined.

"You have to be patient, Shigure-san. Be more gentle."

She took the spoon from him and gently weaved it around until she caught Akira's wide, black eyes. Akira watched the flying utensil intently, following its every turn and dip downwards. He laughed and giggled, opening and closing his tiny fists rapidly in Tohru's direction excitedly. Tohru smiled and set the spoon into his open mouth. He swallowed the goopy mix willingly and waved his arms around for more. Tohru grinned and stroked Akira's soft hair before giving him another spoonful. Picking up a nearby napkin, she wiped at the specks of food at the corner of Akira's mouth before holding the spoon out to Shigure again.

"Tohru-kun! How do you do that?" Shigure questioned in amazement.

"She picked up the spoon and brought it to his mouth," Yuki smirked.

"If you think it's so easy, you do it!" Shigure dared, holding Akira out by his tiny shoulders.

Before Tohru could reprimand Shigure again about how he held Akira, Yuki took the baby with a confident smile. He took the empty spoon Tohru was holding out and scooped up the same amount of the mush as Tohru had. He tried to mimic Tohru's moves exactly, but when the spoon was an inch from Akira's mouth, Akira whacked the spoon away. Yuki's eyes widened as the slush separated from the spoon and landed on his cheek. He sighed unhappily but soon smiled after seeing the spoon smack Shigure in the face. Shigure's head jolted towards the back, and when it lolled back to place, there was a bright, red, circular mark in the center of his forehead.

Shigure stood up abruptly with a cross expression.

"I give up!" he cried before fleeing again.

"Shigure-san!" Tohru tried calling him back in vain.

Tohru peered back at Yuki with a frown. Pushing Shigure's unwillingness to help his child to the back of her mind, she picked up another napkin and cleaned the orange pulp off of Yuki's face before instructing him on feeding again. Tohru placed her hand over his, easing his fingers out of their stiff positions.

"Make him smile and laugh. Then he'll open his mouth. Pretend it's a train or plane," she advised cheerfully.

Yuki cautiously filled the spoon halfway before spiraling the spoon towards Akira, a plane descending from the air. Instead of laughing as he had done with Tohru, Akira seemed frightened and cowered away from the eating utensil. Akira covered his eyes with both of his hands and let out a muffled sob. The scared child wouldn't even look up until Yuki had relinquished the spoon to Tohru. Yuki groaned when Akira happily ate when Tohru tried feeding him a second later without any of the playful tactics she was teaching him.

"Ah! Don't worry! You'll get it. I'm sure! Try again," Tohru encouraged him with a smile.

Yuki did so, but after ten more tries, all they ended up with was a crying Akira and splotches of food scattered across both his and Yuki's outfits. The mess would have been bigger if Tohru hadn't been wiping off the table after every attempt. Defeated, Yuki hung his head as he held Akira out to Tohru. To his surprise, Tohru refused to take the baby. She shook her head and wrapped her hands around his wrists, lowering Akira back onto Yuki's lap. Tohru stood up and took a step away from the table, despite the matching expressions of horror across Yuki and Akira's faces.

"You aren't going to help me?" Yuki asked.

"Nope!" Tohru confirmed with a grin.

"You want him to starve?" Yuki questioned.

"No, but I don't want you to starve either! I have to go make lunch. Keep trying, okay?" Tohru told him.

Yuki reluctantly nodded. Noting the dismayed expression across his face, Tohru comforted him with a gentle pat on the back and a quick kiss on the cheek before she started for the kitchen. She took slow steps though, not wanting to leave. Tohru continued on her way as casually as she could. She wanted to give Yuki the time to realize that he would a perfect parent, something she had known since before she had gotten pregnant. She'd get him to believe her theory today.

"Tohru, if you love me at all, you won't leave me," Yuki breathed.

"You'll be fine. I know you will," Tohru assured him.

He disagreed, but said no more as she walked out of the room. Exasperated, Yuki glanced down at the small boy on his lap. Akira looked back at him, blinking his wide eyes innocently. Yuki sucked in a deep breath, doubting that Akira would eat anymore with him doing the feeding. Yuki tried to give Akira the spoon to see if he'd feed himself, but Akira just dropped it onto Yuki's pants. Forcing himself to be calm, Yuki picked up the utensil and cleaned it before filling the spoon again. Before Yuki even made an attempt to feed Akira, the little boy shoved it away.

"Why won't you eat?" Yuki muttered.

To Yuki's delight and utter shock, Akira started giggling at Yuki's question. Without wasting a second of time, he lowered the spoon to Akira's mouth and managed to get it between his tiny lips before Akira whipped his head to the other side, smearing the pudding-like food across his chubby face. Yuki barely managed to refrain from showing his annoyance as he cleared Akira's pale face of the mush. Akira whimpered and swatted at Yuki's hand that was still gripping the spoon. Yuki set the spoon back into the jar wearily.

"Does it taste bad or something?" Yuki mumbled to himself.

Akira, seeming to answer, bobbed his head slightly up and down.

"But you'll eat for Tohru."

Yuki received no response for this observation, but he didn't need one. It was already a fact.

"If I try it, would you eat it?" Yuki attempted to bargain with the baby, despite the fact that Akira didn't understand words yet.

Seeing the child smile at the statement, Yuki took another look at the contents of the small jar. He grimaced slightly as he read the label. Pumpkins mixed with squash didn't sound very appetizing to him. Recalling Akira's stubbornness earlier, Yuki sighed and lifted the spoon to his own mouth. He couldn't help but hesitate as he stared at the glob of what was supposed to be food a centimeter from his lips. He sucked in a deep breath and set the spoon in his mouth. He didn't dare to breathe until he had swallowed the morsel.

Akira clapped in delight at Yuki's disgusted expression. Yuki beamed brightly, glad to see his efforts hadn't gone to waste. To his relief, Akira was willing to eat now. Yuki was shocked to see Akira gulp down over half of the contents of the jar before he began rejecting it again. That was more than Yuki had ever hoped for. The little boy yawned and his eyes began to droop as Yuki wiped the last bits of food from his hands and face. Yuki shut the jar before wrapping his arms around Akira and standing up with the now sleeping baby.

Tohru watched with a smile, peeking from around the wall as Yuki held the small child in his arms. He cradled the baby gently as he picked up the jar and spoon to drop off in the kitchen. He truly was a perfect father. He seemed startled to find her there when he looked up. She instantly flushed and turned her face down, ashamed to have been caught peeping. Tohru hadn't meant to watch for so long. She didn't want him to think she didn't trust him with Akira, but she had found the sight too endearing to ignore.

"How long have you been there?" he inquired.

"Long enough," Tohru smiled as she walked over and took the baby food from him, "You're going to be a terrific dad!"

Yuki followed her, carrying a now sleeping Akira in his arms uneasily. With how Akira had reacted to Yuki holding him earlier, Yuki doubted that Akira would sleep for much longer if he continued to carry the boy around.

"Damn rat! Where are you?!"

Yuki cringed when the once slumbering boy in his arms awoke and started to screech. As soon as he saw Kyo skid into the kitchen, he walked over and plopped the crying baby into Kyo's arms. Akira began to scream and babble. His puny features scrunched together and his face flared red as he choked on his own sobs. Watching the two of them, Yuki wasn't sure whose expression he found more humorous. Yuki decided it was Kyo's after his bulging red eyes began to twitch. When he finally looked up, Kyo couldn't even make his open mouth form any words. He just stared at Yuki.

"You woke him. You get him to sleep again," Yuki stated dryly as he walked away.

Kyo stormed after him, holding the child by his armpits. Yuki stopped and turned around at the foot of the steps, raising his eyebrows impatiently at Kyo. Kyo scowled irritably. He was tempted to just toss the baby he was holding too tightly aside and attack his nemesis, but his confusion overwhelmed his anger, his dominant emotion, for once.

"Wha-? Did Tohru have the baby already?" he asked, confounded.

Before Yuki could even laugh at Kyo's assumption, Tohru shuffled over to where they stood by the stairs when she heard her name.

"Yes? Did you call?" she asked happily.

Taking one look at Tohru's obviously still pregnant figure, Kyo stared at the baby in his arms with his eyes growing larger by the second. This little boy clearly wasn't Tohru's daughter. Tohru's figure had revealed to him that this little child wasn't who he had expected it to be, seeing as Akira's male clothing and features that didn't resemble Yuki's nor Tohru's didn't cut it. Tohru blinked obliviously, not understanding why he was staring at her so. She got enough gawking whenever she stepped outside of the house. She didn't need the attention inside the house as well.

"Who is this?" Kyo demanded impatiently.

"That's Akira-chan!" Tohru answered before frowning at Kyo, "Kyo-kun, you can't hold Akira-chan like that!"

She took the sobbing baby from Kyo's stiff arms and hugged him warmly. Akira's cries died out immediately. Akira's distraught expression lightened with a cheerful smile and the creases across his face quickly faded. He laid his head on Tohru's shoulders and was asleep again within seconds. She continued to stroke his back gently, taking no notice of Kyo's squabbles until he began to yell again. Tohru worriedly pressed Akira closer to herself, hoping he wouldn't awaken again.

"Who's Akira?" Kyo questioned, getting more confused by the second.

"Akito and Shigure's son," Yuki responded slowly.

Yuki looked up and laughed at the disgusted expression forming on Kyo's face as the words sank in. He took one glance at Akira before running to his room. Kyo sat on the floor of his bedroom, trying his best not to gag at the news. Sickened at the thought of Shigure having conceived a child with Akito of all people, Kyo stood up rashly and slid open his window. He swiftly jumped out and raced back to the main house. All the way, he wondered why he had even bothered to leave the dojo.

--

"I'll go put him back in my room since he's asleep again," Yuki offered.

Tohru beamed at him before setting Akira gently in Yuki's awaiting arms.

"Come back soon. I'm almost done cooking," Tohru told him.

He nodded before climbing up the stairs.

Tohru hummed as she went back to work. After she had already set the table and served the food, she was surprised to see no sign of Yuki. Shigure had already started eating his second serving. Worriedly, she went to check up on him. She knocked a couple of times before entering the room. The scene she walked in on made her smile. Yuki was currently sprawled out on his bed in deep slumber with Akira beside him. They were both snoring gently and breathing slowly. Knowing better than to try to wake Yuki, she approached the bed and kissed them both on their foreheads before returning to the kitchen.

She set aside a plate for Yuki before eating herself.

Tohru was just cleaning up the kitchen when the doorbell rang again. She dropped the dishrag and washed her hands quickly before scurrying off to answer it. Her eyes bulged when she saw Akito standing on the porch, impatiently tapping her foot. The once jubilant expression vanished immediately. She was frozen at the doorstep, too shocked to even step aside or greet the head of the Sohma family. Her heart thumped uneasily as she locked eyes with Akito's venomous ones.

"Where's my son? Akira?" Akito demanded.

"He's sleeping with Yuki-kun," Tohru smiled, thinking of the two passed out boys in Yuki's room.

"Where?"

"They're both in Yuki-kun's room. Akira-san is fine, really!" Tohru assured Akito.

Glancing around the room, Akito nodded, seeming to trust Tohru's words. She eyed the spotless room with what appeared to be disdain or envy. Spotting a framed photo on the wall, she stalked over and eyed it suspiciously. It was an old picture taken at least a year ago. Tohru stood in the middle with Yuki and Kyo at her sides. It was the first time Akito had seen either of them smile. Her frown deepened as she scrutinized Shigure's wide grin. She hadn't seen Shigure smile so either. Akito fingered the photo for a moment before tearing it off the wall and flinging it across the room.

"Tohru Honda, you may be pregnant with Yuki's daughter, but that doesn't mean I hate you any less. You're still an ugly witch who has stolen my family from me," Akito hissed.

"I-I didn't!"

"Shigure? He's mine. And where is he? Here with you. Yuki? He's mine. What's he doing? Fucking you!" Akito shouted furiously.

Before Tohru could respond, Akito's fingers enclosed her thin throat and she was shoved against the wall behind her. Tohru gasped, squirming against Akito's grip, but she was unable to budge an inch. Akito stepped closer to her, glowering at her darkly. Her sharp nails dug into Tohru's neck as Tohru was pressed more forcefully against the solid structure. Tohru's hands found their way to Akito's, clawing and prying without success. She couldn't get one finger to loosen. It was like trying to push a house. She couldn't move her feet either –Akito was stepping on both of them.

"I-I can't breathe!" Tohru choked out.

"That's the point."

Tohru could feel her lungs catch fire. They burned viciously, and the pain just continued to spiral upward, engulfing all her innards. She tried to speak again or at least catch a breath, but she couldn't even manage to get out the softest squeak. She was beginning to get lightheaded, and she could no longer see clearly. Dark splotches began replacing the scenery before her. She couldn't even clearly see Akito, who was a mere five inches from her, but she was positive that Akito was smirking. Tears bubbled to Tohru's face as she realized death may just be around the corner.

"Tohru?"

She could hear Yuki's faint calls grow louder. Her eyes fluttered open, racing towards the direction of his voice weakly. He was getting nearer, but Akito didn't seem fazed by this. Tohru could see Yuki in the room now. His eyes widened in shock which soon narrowed with anger. He nearly tossed Akira aside, but lucky for the half asleep baby, Shigure was nearby. Yuki handed Akira to his father before grabbing Akito and tearing her away from Tohru. Tohru collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. She clasped her hands to her chest and sucked in as much oxygen as she could.

"What are you doing?! She watches your son all day, and you repay her by trying to kill her?!" Yuki snapped lividly.

"Who are you to accuse me of such things?! I am your god!" Akito screeched.

"No, not anymore," Yuki denied.

He bent down to help Tohru sit up. Ignoring Akito for a moment, Yuki checked up on Tohru fretfully. She seemed fine, not injured but startled. He soothingly raked his fingers through her tousled hair and gently cleared her face of the tears trailing down her cheeks. Yuki brushed his fingers against the purple chocker forming around Tohru's neck worriedly. Tohru buried her face against Yuki's shoulder, sobbing bitterly. He patted her back comfortingly, murmuring reassuring phrases into her ear to pacify the hysterical girl.

"W-What do mean?" Akito questioned unsteadily.

Yuki glanced back at her for a second before wrapping his arms around Tohru. He pulled her against his chest in a clear embrace. Akito watched in horror as no little rat replaced Yuki. She had sensed something wrong with the curse for a while, but she hadn't expected it to be broken. She stormed over, reaching her arm out to tear Tohru away from Yuki. Never before had Yuki ever dared to do anything against her, but she could see nothing other than hatred coating Yuki's gray eyes as he glared at her. She froze and closed her hand into a tight fist.

"You- You wretched girl!" Akito snarled, taking her anger out on Tohru.

She raised her hand as if to slap Tohru, but Akira's crying interrupted her.

"Mama!" Akira cried.

Surprisingly, Akito lowered her hand and her expression softened instantly. She took Akira gently into her arms, but Akira didn't settle down. He thrashed about wildly, striking Akito with small fists.

"Mama! Mama! Mama!" Akira wailed, flailing his arms in Tohru's direction.

Akito furrowed her eyebrows together in confusion. She glowered at Tohru but helplessly set her son on the ground. Akira instantly crawled over to Tohru, seating himself on her lap and clinging to her tightly. He whimpered and wedged himself between Yuki and Tohru. Akira didn't even turn his head to glance back at Akito. He simply clutched Tohru's shirt and continued to call for his 'mama'. Tohru was shocked to find the baby she had only known for one day worried about her.

Akito seemed hurt to see this. She couldn't even manage to yell anymore.

"You've already taken everything from me… Must you take my son too?" Akito whispered.

"I-I'm not taking him!" Tohru denied.

Tohru tried to hand Akira back, but Yuki stopped her. He kept his arm outstretched in front of her as his other arm wrapped around her waist and held her against him. Bewildered, Tohru gazed at him. Glancing back at his mother, Akira began to wail louder. Tohru held the child against her chest, but Akira's cries only died down slightly. He kept one hand firmly wrapped around Tohru's shirt, but his other arm was extended towards Akito. Akira finally released Tohru and was struggling to get back to his mother.

"She won't give Akira back unless you promise to never hurt her again or do anything to our daughter," Yuki told her.

"I won't! Just give him back!" Akito promised immediately.

Yuki obliged with a smile and brought Akira to her. Akito smiled and hugged the boy tightly. Akira grinned and squeaked ecstatically, clinging to Akito.

"Mommy!" he chirped.

Akito patted her son's back as she glared at Shigure, "You didn't take care of him at all, did you?"

"I fed him!" Shigure defended himself proudly.

"Not really," Yuki grumbled.

"Shigure," she seethed before stomping off with the baby bag.

"Wait! Akito-chan!" Shigure called as he chased after her.

Yuki laughed as Shigure ran out of the house without his shoes. He could see Akito get into a black car and broke into hysteria as the car sped off without Shigure. Shigure pointlessly raced after the speeding vehicle, still crying out for Akito. Tohru fought back her smile with great difficulty. It was hard not to beam when Yuki was, but at the moment, she wasn't going to let her happiness make her forget what she had to say to Yuki. She gently shoved him, getting his attention quickly. His chuckles came to an abrupt end when he noticed her upset expression.

"Yuki-kun! I can't believe you used Akira-chan as a threat!" Tohru exclaimed.

"I wasn't going to hurt the little guy. I already told you. I like him. Besides, now you're safe, and so is our daughter," Yuki smiled with satisfaction.

"Thank you, but you still shouldn't have… Now Akira-chan won't be allowed back here. I'm going to miss him," Tohru murmured.

"Today was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid if we have more days like this you'll never wake up," Tohru stated seriously.

"But I'll be happy," Yuki assured her.

"Happy? You looked miserable all day!" Tohru pointed out.

"But if everyday were like this, then I'll get to see you everyday. Nothing makes me happier than that," Yuki told her.

Tohru flushed. He had a point. What was a tiring day if there was a guarantee that they got to see each other? Tohru beamed brightly and burrowed her face against his arm. He peered at her, glad to see that she didn't seem to be in pain. His expression softened as his fingers stroked her cheek. Tohru leaned against his touch, blushing brightly and struggling to contain her embarrassment. The only thing that kept her from breaking away, besides his enchanting caress, was that Shigure wasn't home at the moment.

It turned out that she didn't have to move, for Yuki was the one to pull away.

"You made me jealous today…" Yuki admitted softly.

"Of what?"

"You and Akira…" he trailed off, "You seem to like him more than you like me."

"I-I do not! I love you! You know that…"

"Do I?" Yuki mused, "I don't know. You say you do, but you seem to be avoiding me. You hardly let me hold you or kiss you-"

She interrupted him, pressing her lips softly against his. His eyes doubled in size at the unexpected peck he had just received. Tohru ended it before he could react. Before he could even notice the blush overtaking her face, Tohru hopped to her feet and fled from the room, leaving a stunned Yuki in the living room.

**I don't like this chapter D: It's boring. I'm sorry. Review and correct my mistakes please. And go write me Yukiru stories for my birthday, which is in three days! :D**


	29. Week 29

Tohru sat on the edge of her seat, leaning forward as she anxiously awaited Mayu to walk over to her row with the graded math tests from Monday. Yuki had tutored her all weekend, practically repeating the lecture to her twice and writing several practice problems for her. The last thing she wanted was to fail again and to have wasted all of his precious time. Mayu was just walking back up the row directly to her right after handing back papers to all the students seated there, but as soon as she reached Tohru's row, she tripped over the first desk and fell flat on her face. Knowing she was cause of the accident, Tohru shot up in her seat and bowed apologetically.

"I'm so sorry!" she squeaked feebly.

Tohru rushed forward and gathered all the fallen tests frantically. Because of how far along she was in her pregnancy, her abdomen had grown too large to fit in gap between her chair and her desk. The students in her row were all forced to move all the desks forward to provide adequate space for her, despite of her embarrassment. This was the third injury Mayu had received today. Mayu pushed herself up, brushing Tohru's apologies off politely before taking the tests from her.

"It's all right, Honda-san. Don't worry about it. Just sit back down. I'm sure you want your test back," Mayu told her with a considerate smile.

After squeezing in another apology, Tohru rushed back to her seat eagerly. She sat in her seat tensely, nervously watching Mayu walk down the aisle. Mayu seemed to be walking even slower than normal. Too anxious to even look as she heard Mayu place her test on her desk, Tohru shut her eyes. Tohru still hadn't opened her firmly closed eyes after Mayu had given Yuki, who was sitting at the very end of the last row in the classroom, his test. Yuki glanced at Tohru worriedly. He had never seen her act in such a manner.

"Tohru, aren't you going to look at your test?" he asked gently.

"How did I do?" she breathed.

"You did really well," he assured her.

Tohru dared to crack open one eye at this, but she didn't dare look down at her grade. Instead, she glanced over at him, partially suspecting him of lying to her. It had been so long since she had received a good grade on a test. It had probably been months ago when she had aced the final test on their sex education unit. She had only done so well because of all those pregnancy and baby books Yuki had bought and because of her visits to the obstetrician. Every quiz and test after that had been barely passed, despite how much time Yuki spent tutoring her.

"How well?" she murmured delicately.

"You got a 92," Yuki informed her.

Tohru gasped and snapped her eyes open in shock. For a second, all she could do was stare at the red numbers on her test in disbelief. Gratefully, she jumped to her feet and cheerfully tossed her arms around Yuki. Surprised, Yuki flinched as she lightly pecked his cheek. His eyes widened and his cheeks began to darken when he realized she was embracing him. They were in the back of the room, but the screeching of his chair caused by her leap had drawn everyone's attention to them. Embarrassedly, he kept his eyes on the floor, unable to even meet the gazes of his classmates he knew were staring at him, or more accurately, they were gawking at him –with the exception of Kyo, who seemed displeased with the intimacy.

"Thank you so much for helping me!" Tohru exclaimed.

"Um… You're welcome… But you're the one who studied so hard," Yuki reminded her.

The small curve of Yuki's mouth and the arm he kept around Tohru's back to keep her from slipping and falling enraged every fan girl in the room, making them stare at Tohru with a deadly glint to their eyes. Unaware of the ominous glares she was receiving, Tohru smiled broadly at Yuki. She was practically snuggling with him, not that he minded, but he knew she'd freak out when she realized what she had done. Public affection was not something she supported. He hadn't been aware she was capable of such actions until now, but then again, she had seemed to have forgotten that they weren't alone. He didn't have the heart to tell her. The oblivious state he found endearing, however, only seemed to anger the fan girls further.

"No way… Is the Prince blushing?" Minami hissed.

"Looks like it… I've never seen him blush before."

"And just because of that witch? Imagine how he'd look if we were hugging him instead," Minami snickered.

Minami could already imagine it, jumping into Yuki's arms, watching his face light up with a timid smile, and reaching his lips with her own. A blissful expression crossed her dazed face as she happily clasped her hands together. Minami's dream could have spiraled down further if it weren't for the lead pipe that suddenly hit her desk and cracked the wooden top. She screamed and jumped out of her seat instantly as splinters flew about the room and landed on nearby desks. Minami trembled as she peered up at the pair of angry brown eyes that went along with the weapon.

"Don't even think about touching Tohru's man," Uo warned.

"Tohru's man? Ha!" Minami snorted, hiding her terror behind a façade of confidence.

"Hey! Prince, aren't you Tohru's man?" Uo demanded angrily.

"I guess that's a crude way to put it, but yes," Yuki confirmed.

Tohru gasped when she finally noticed that she was the center of attention. Humiliated, she slid off of Yuki and landed on the floor with a soft thud. Her cheeks flushed darkly. Even Mayu was eyeing her strangely. Tohru peered at the pipe Uo was gripping tightly with concerned eyes. A couple of girls were already ducked under their desks. Tohru was worried for their sake, but at the moment, all she seemed to be able to focus on was Yuki's confirmation of being hers. Those simple words made her stomach do cartwheels and somersaults in a crazed frenzy. The next threats Uo tossed about, however, Tohru would have preferred to have done without.

"And it goes without saying that you keep your hands off of Tohru. That goes to you, stupid fan girls, and the guys too!" Uo snapped, waving her pipe around dangerously.

"Uo-chan!" Tohru cried fretfully.

She hopped up and took the pipe out of Uo's hand before she accidentally –or purposefully for that matter- hurt someone. Tohru managed to slide the weapon out of Uo's fingers, but that didn't make Uo look any less dangerous. She continued to glower at every occupant of the room to ensure they all knew how serious her threats were. Tohru waved her hands about, trying to get them disregard what Uo had said, the second part at least. She didn't mind if they remembered that Yuki was hers. Uo disregarded Tohru's frantic gestures though and turned to Kyo with a deadly gaze.

"You too, Kyon Kyon! No touching Tohru! Don't take advantage of her just because she lives with you! If you do, I'll break all your fingers," Uo warned.

"I wouldn't do that! She's the last person I'd want to touch!" Kyo retorted abruptly.

"What did you just say?!" Uo shouted.

"Excuse me?" Yuki cut in, glaring at Kyo.

Kyo flinched as he realized what he had said. As usual, Tohru was gazing at him with a small smile, uncomprehending of the meaning of his words. Yuki, Uo and Hana, however, were glowering at him. Kyo opened his mouth as he tried to come up with a reply that wouldn't further his unintended insult. Within seconds, he closed his mouth. He settled for a scowl and returned their infuriated looks. Noticing the real malice deep in all four of their eyes, Tohru laughed uneasily as she stood between them in attempt to prevent the imminent outbreak of violence.

"SHUT UP! Stop picking fights with me!" Kyo shouted irritably.

"_You're_ the one who picks fights," Yuki replied nonchalantly.

"I'm going to kill you!" Kyo snapped, raising his fists furiously.

"Go ahead. I dare you," Yuki smiled calmly.

"Ah! Wait! Stop! Don't fight!" Tohru interrupted nervously.

She extended both of her arms out, stopping them both before they were within five feet of the other. Tohru didn't want the classroom to end up as an unrecognizable ruin of broken desks and crumbled walls. Yuki and Kyo threw each other menacing gazes, wordlessly telling each other that they'd finish the fight later when Tohru wasn't around, before they both reluctantly retreated back into their seats. Tohru let out a breath of relief as she trotted back to her desk, glad to have saved the school from destruction. Uo stared in amazement as the two boys obediently remained where they were.

"Wow! Tohru, you really tamed those boys!" Uo exclaimed.

Tohru blushed darkly, too timid to even deny what Uo had said.

"Sit down, Uotani-san. It's not homeroom yet-" Mayu began to say, but she stopped and sighed when the bell rang.

Hana and Uo immediately came over, stealing the seats of the two people that sat closest to Tohru. Uo grinned as she placed her hands on Tohru's stomach, smiling as soft kicks responded to her touch. Tohru found it embarrassing to have her friends rubbing her abdomen, but lately, nearly everyone in the school had come to her at least once to feel her daughter kick. It was the most positive reaction she had received about her pregnancy yet. Although flattered by their attention, it humiliated her to no end. Regardless, it was a nice change from the gaping and dirty looks she had received since her classmates found out about her situation.

"Wow, Tohru! You made it! You're pregnancy is almost over!" Uo cried excitedly.

Tohru smiled with a nod. She could hardly wait to meet her daughter. Her daughter had to be cute. With Sohma genes flowing in her blood, how could she be anything but beautiful? Specifically, she was Yuki's daughter, and there was a reason why he was the school prince. Besides, she was ready to be a normal girl again. However grateful she was to her pregnancy for bringing Yuki and her to the status of lovers, she was tired of being pregnant. Caring for a newborn wouldn't be much easier, but Yuki was willing to help her with that.

"Isn't it sad? Pretty soon she won't be just mine anymore…" Yuki teased Tohru.

"She was never just yours. She's ours too," Hana disagreed.

"She likes me more, right, Tohru?" Yuki inquired.

"I love all of you!" Tohru responded quickly.

"But who most?" Uo questioned.

Tohru stuttered, unwilling to answer. What was she supposed to say? She'd hurt two people whatever answer she gave. Trying too hard not to hurt someone, she missed the humor shimmering in each one of their eyes. She kept her eyes on her hands, chewing her bottom lip worriedly as she struggled to come up with a way to settle this peacefully. Suddenly, they laughed, making her jump in shock. Blinking in confusion, Tohru peered at them for a moment before she understood that it was her they found so humorous. After making sure Tohru wasn't offended by his chuckles, Yuki released her hand and stood.

"I'll come find you after school, okay?"

Tohru nodded with a smile and sent him on his way to the student council room before he was late for his meeting. Yuki practically darted down the hallways, anxious to get there on time. He had ditched several meetings already and was determined to get something done today. To his dismay, he noticed Motoko standing beside the door to the student council room. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she instantly bounded over to him with a cheerful grin. Yuki hesitated at her approach, taking a step back cautiously. Motoko ignored his actions and took extra steps to make up for it.

"Yuki-kun, may I speak with you for a minute?" Motoko asked with a smile.

"Um… Sure… What is it that you need, Motoko-sempai?" Yuki responded warily.

"Would you come with me for a little while?"

Yuki nodded, a bit reluctantly and sauntered after her. Motoko beamed as she spun around, reaching for Yuki's hand, but he snatched his hand away before her fingers could even brush his. Her smile faltered momentarily as she mentally cursed Tohru. Glad to see Yuki actually following her, her grin returned within seconds. She practically skipped down the hallways as Yuki uneasily trailed after her. He never walked beside her but rather, slightly behind her as a child would, she noted with disdain. She knew, through her daily spying, he was comfortable enough to walk next to Tohru. He even put his arms around Tohru's shoulders. Motoko was definitely jealous, though she preferred to refer to the emotion as determination to break through the black magic Tohru had obviously used to make Yuki love her.

After walking for five minutes, Yuki glanced at the clock exasperatedly, "Where are we going, Motoko-sempai?"

"Ah, nowhere. Just here," she giggled.

"So what is it that you need to say?" Yuki questioned impatiently.

Instead of replying, Motoko glanced around the seemingly deserted hallway before turning back towards Yuki. Yuki watched her quizzically as her face darkened to a shade that reminded him of Tohru's blushes. Motoko shifted her weight nervously and fiddled with her hands, trying to work up the courage to speak. She thought she had planned this confrontation thoroughly, but now that he was in front of her, she couldn't remember those carefully chosen phrases and perfect words. Motoko could tell she didn't have time to recollect them. Yuki was already edging away.

"You see… I- I um… You know I really like you," Motoko stammered nervously, "I actually love you!"

Shocked that she had been able to say it, Motoko jumped up excitedly. She decided to go along with Plan B, despite that she had disregarded it earlier out of shyness. She hopped up onto the tips of her toes and pressed her lips against Yuki's before he even figured out what was going on.

Meanwhile…

Tohru stood up, "I'm going to go to the bathroom."

One thing she wouldn't miss about her pregnancy was the frequent bathroom breaks.

Tohru wandered out of the classroom with her usual cheerful smile. She casually walked down the empty hallways, humming an unknown tune quietly to herself. Tohru froze when she saw familiar silver hair disappear around the end of the corridor. She blinked in confusion. She could have sworn that she had seen a woman a couple of inches ahead of him. Curiously, and a little jealously, Tohru followed. They clearly weren't heading to the student council room. In fact, they were heading in the opposite direction.

She hurried along and was soon close behind, but when both of them stopped, she halted behind the last wall. Suddenly, she felt guilty about following them. Yuki was her boyfriend, and she was supposed to trust him, not tail after him when he wasn't with her. Smiling to herself, Tohru was about to head back, but Motoko's loud, love confession made her stop in her tracks. Tohru gawked, whirling around to look, but again, she froze at the edge of the wall. Hesitating, she brought her fingernails to her mouth, chewing them indecisively. After another second of fidgeting and flailing her arms about, Tohru slowly poked her head out.

Tohru flinched at the scene she had caught sight of. A gasp escaped her quivering lips, making Motoko drop back down to her feet in shock. Tohru's eyes widened when Yuki turned towards her with equally large eyes, confirming to her that it was indeed her boyfriend who was just kissing Motoko. Her fingers flew to her mouth as her face twisted with horror. Unable to hold back her tears, Tohru fled from the scene as quickly as she could. She couldn't run quite that swiftly, but the distance between them grew rapidly, mainly due to how Yuki was stunned motionless.

"Tohru! Wait! This isn't what it looks like!" Yuki shouted.

He was yelling, begging, crying out to her to stop, but she couldn't. Her legs wouldn't listen, and her ears refused to hear anymore of what he was trying to tell her. After running around the school twice, she ran until she was back at the classroom and sat beside the door, sure she had lost him. Tohru couldn't make herself go inside and face her classmates, especially not her friends. She didn't want to explain anything or deny accusations that she had been dumped. What could she say when she wasn't sure what had happened, herself?

No one bothered her for a while. Teachers and students walking by simply brushed past her, not even looking in her direction. Tohru was perfectly content with their self-absorbed attitudes. She didn't wish to discuss her problem with anyone, especially not the person who decided to approach her. Tohru buried her face into her hands, refusing to look at the Yuki Fan Club president even when Motoko sat beside her. Tohru turned away from her, not acknowledging her as she spoke. She didn't want to hear about what happened just yet.

"Yuki kissed me," Motoko finally said, "I'm sorry. If I had known that was what he wanted, I wouldn't have followed him. I know you two are dating and all."

Tohru didn't respond, and after minutes of silence, Motoko stood and left with an unsatisfied grunt. She had been aiming to see tears at least or hear cries, but Tohru had held back all signs of sadness until Motoko had left. When she was alone again, tears came gushing out. Tohru wasn't stupid enough to believe what Motoko had said –she had clearly seen Motoko's arms tossed around Yuki's neck. Yuki had been standing rigid, and his eyes had been wide, clearly out of shock. She didn't even need those obvious clues to know that Yuki hadn't been cheating on her. Yuki wasn't the type to do such a thing. She doubted she would have even believed Motoko if Yuki had been leaning over her and had Motoko ensnared in a passionate embrace.

Yuki was the second person to come up to her. She could tell it was him, even though he didn't speak at first and though she didn't look up at him. Tohru recognized the ragged breathing and the tall shadow he cast on the ground. Nevertheless, she refused to meet his gaze, even when he stooped down to her level. Yuki sighed as she averted her teary gaze from his. After a minute of failing to meet her eyes, he finally locked her face between his hands and turned her towards him.

"I'm not cheating on you, Tohru. I swear. She just jumped on me and-"

"I know," Tohru interrupted him.

"You know?"

"Yes… You wouldn't do that, but I want to know why," she murmured softly.

"Why?" he repeated the word quizzically.

"Yes! Why aren't you cheating on me?! I'm not that pretty! I'm pregnant! I'm not skinny! I can hardly walk! I'm not even cute! Motoko-sempai is! She's gorgeous! Why don't you just date her?!" Tohru cried.

Yuki paused, gazing at the wailing woman before him. When he raised a hand to swipe the tears from her face, she slapped his fingers away. He didn't quite understand what she was implying, but he figured she was mad at him for some reason other than being forcibly kissed by Motoko. It almost sounded as if she were mad at him for not cheating on her, but that didn't make sense to him. He kneeled there patiently, waiting for her to elaborate. He figured she was having trouble expressing herself clearly, but the ferocity in her eyes suggested otherwise.

"What are you… What are you trying to say?" he breathed.

"I'm not good enough for you, I understand. You can be with Motoko-sempai. She's more beautiful than I am," Tohru continued in a hurt tone.

"You really think I'm that shallow, don't you?" he murmured softly.

Without even waiting for Tohru to respond, he stood up, shaking his head as he walked away. Tohru gasped, jumping to her feet awkwardly. She struggled to chase after him, but her worn out legs refused to listen anymore. Keeping her hands on the walls, she stumbled after him as quickly as she could manage, which wasn't that fast. He was already halfway down the hallway, and she was only several feet from the classroom. Tohru sniffled, dabbing her eyes with the edge of her sleeve to clear the veils of tears in vain.

"Yuki-kun! Wait! D-Don't go! Come back!" Tohru wailed.

He ignored her, muttering something she couldn't make out under his breath. Yuki paused in his steps, seeming to debate whether he should leave or not. This gave her time to close the distance, but he started walking before she reached him. Dashing ahead rapidly, she managed to grasp his arm, finally, but when her fingers wrapped around him, he shook her off. Tohru winced, as if he had struck her. She stopped where she was and dropped her hand, ending her pursuit. Yuki didn't even glance back as he continued walking.

"Y-Yuki…"

Tohru dropped to the ground abruptly, gripping her abdomen tightly. She knelt there, gasping in pain. She winced as another burst of pain exploded near her stomach.

--

Feeling guilty, Yuki decided to return to Tohru. He should have been more understanding. Yuki was well aware of her frequent mood swings. She didn't mean half of the things she said when she was emotional nowadays. He had no right to make her feel worse than she already did. He was the one who had kissed someone else, though not willingly, after all. Yuki turned around at the end of the hallway and started back immediately. His eyes doubled in size when he saw Tohru bent over in the middle of the floor. He quickly sprinted over, disregarding the school rules in his haste. He knelt down beside her worriedly, placing his hand on her back.

"Are you okay, Tohru?" Yuki inquired fretfully.

Tohru's head snapped up at the sound of his voice. Her jaw dropped and her fists grasped at his top, pulling him near. Weeping, she buried her face in his shirt, entangling him in a tight embrace to keep him from leaving. Yuki stroked her back worriedly, awaiting a response from her. He couldn't tell whether she was shaking from crying or nodding in response to his question. Choking on her own sobs, she couldn't speak either. Tohru simply tightened her grip around him, trying to hug him despite the barrier in the way.

"Yuki!" she cried, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! Please don't stay mad at me!"

"No, no. Don't apologize. _I'm_ sorry. I overreacted… I shouldn't have… I'm sorry," he apologized.

"No, Yuki-kun did nothing wrong," Tohru insisted, "It's my fault, and I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. You didn't cheat on me, and I don't think you're shallow at all! I love you most!"

"Shh… Tohru, calm down. It's okay," he assured her.

Tohru peeled her face off of his shirt, leaving a dark imprint from her tears. She peeked up at his face shyly, pleased to find a smile across his face. His hand cupped her face, caressing the wet skin gently. He was graced with a small smile in return. Timidly, Tohru turned her head to the side, managing to hide one of her scarlet cheeks from him at least. Yuki disregarded her embarrassment, turning her back to face him. He scrutinized her carefully in search of the injury that had made her collapse, but he noticed nothing other than Tohru's confused expression.

"Where does it hurt," he pressed worriedly.

"Um… It doesn't hurt anymore," Tohru admitted uneasily, praying he wouldn't assume she had feigned the whole fall to make him come back.

"Where did it hurt then?" he asked.

"Umm… Here," she gestured oddly to her lower abdomen.

"So it didn't hurt here?"

He trailed his fingers from the bottom of her back to her stomach, showing her the area he was referring to. She flushed vividly at the contact as she struggled to focus not on where his hands were but the trail they had left behind. Recalling the spasm of pain that had erupted near her abdomen, she shook her head in denial to his question. Yuki let out a breath of relief. Bemused, Tohru tilted her head to the side, tacitly prodding him for an explanation.

"They were contractions," he announced to her.

"Am I going into labor?" Tohru panicked.

"No, no! They're Braxton Hicks Contractions," he explained to her, "False labor. They're fake contractions, basically. Don't worry. It's too early for you to go into labor."

"So you're not mad at me at all?" Tohru asked after a moment of silence.

He shook his head with a smile, "Are you mad at me?"

"Nope!"

"Good, so I can kiss you?"  
She blushed in response, unable to say much further as he gingerly pressed his lips to hers. Tohru was just about to wrap her arms around Yuki's neck when the bell rung and the door five feet to her right opened with a thud. Upon hearing a whistle and loud footsteps of her classmates, she gasped and shoved Yuki away gently. Several more hoots and applauds followed as Tohru jumped to her feet. She nervously straightened out her skirt and kept her eyes stubbornly on the floor as laughing students walked past her. Noticing Yuki still sitting on the floor in a state of shock, Tohru tugged him up –with his help- embarrassedly.

"So this is what you ditched homeroom for, eh, Tohru?" Uo snickered.

"Uo-chan!" Tohru exclaimed.

"I totally understand. You're just lucky that Mayu-sensei had to leave seconds after you left, or you'd have another detention," Uo laughed.

Tohru flushed and hid behind Yuki as the rest of the students came piling out. Half of her classmates had witnessed the kiss. Did Uo really find it necessary to ramble about the kiss for those who hadn't seen it? Tohru grimaced, shying away from the glares nearly every girl who came by gave her as Uo continued to tease her.

**Sorry for the mediocre chapter and abrupt ending. D: But my mind is elsewhere (Breaking Dawn August 2nd :D :D :D). So my editing was probably crummy. So correct those silly mistakes. :D**


	30. Week 30

_Tohru tilted her head to the side to the sound of quick, sharp raps. Her feet led her towards the commotion, and as she got closer, she could make out the source as the shower. She blinked as she paused at the door. Suddenly, she was overcome with the intense desire to know who was showering at this time of day. Before she could stop herself, her hand had found the door knob and she had shoved the door open. The inside was foggy. She could hardly see anything at first, but soon she could make out a gray figure emerging from the hazy abyss. _

_ She hadn't realized the shower had stopped until she could begin to spot facial features. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of a mop of wet, silver hair. Tohru gasped and was about to bolt before the fog cleared and she could see more than just his face and his bare chest, but he caught her wrist. Before she could blink, she was trapped in a tight embrace and his lips were ravishing hers. She could hardly breathe as his fingers weaved themselves into her hair. Hesitantly, her hands crept over his shoulders and around his damp neck. Meanwhile, his hands were just beginning to free themselves from the snares in her hair and tugging at the ribbon around the waist of her dress when a loud beep made him freeze. _

_ Keeping her arms locked firmly around his neck and her lips against his, she prayed he'd continue, but another ring shattered the silence, and Yuki disappeared. She looked around in confusion, but a ceaseless succession of shrill rings sent her back into reality. _

Tohru gasped as she shot up in bed. Snapping her head back and forth, she checked her surroundings in attempt to figure out what was going on as she clutched her blanket to her chest. As soon as she realized where she was and that she had been dreaming, Tohru blushed. She didn't have time to register much else as the ringing began again. Fully conscious now, she understood that it was the doorbell, and someone was waiting for her to answer it. At first, she thought it was a little early for someone to come over, but when she glanced at the clock, she learned it wasn't early at all. Yuki had turned off her alarm. Again.

She hopped out of bed quickly and ran a brush through her dark tresses before bolting to the door –falling down the stairs in her haste. Tohru was about to apologize for taking so long, but when she spotted her guest, she was left speechless. To say she was shocked to find the president of the Yuki fan club standing on the porch would be an understatement. A major one. For a moment, all Tohru could do was stare at the older student, too bewildered to do anything else until Motoko cleared her throat in annoyance. To that, Tohru stepped aside frantically and let her in with a polite smile, which Motoko ignored.

"Um… Good morning, Motoko-sempai," Tohru greeted her awkwardly.

She wasn't sure how she was supposed to act around Motoko anymore. Though her personality naturally made her treat everyone with respect and kindness, a part of her desperately wanted to slap Motoko across the face. Tohru didn't want Motoko to think she was free to kiss Yuki whenever she wanted to. Though she desired to, she couldn't even raise her hand for the strike. Her entire being seemed to reject any thought of violence, so she forced herself to continue to smile even as Motoko eyed her with a disapproving gaze.

"Did you come here for something?" Tohru inquired after another minute had passed without a word out of Motoko's mouth.

Motoko sighed, glancing down at her shoes as she fiddled with the bottom of her frilly shirt. She seemed reluctant to speak or to even meet Tohru's eyes. Tohru cocked her head to the left with a gentle smile, politely encouraging her to talk. She was anxious to get started on breakfast before Shigure and Yuki awoke and Kyo returned from his morning jog. She'd have to start soon if she wished to give them anything other than cereal and milk since Yuki had tampered with her alarm again. She was getting impatient, but one couldn't tell unless he knew where to look for the signs, like the faint creases across her forehead and the slightest downturn of her mouth. Motoko, however, was a mere acquaintance of Tohru, so she noticed nothing and took her sweet time to reconsider her words.

"I-I came to apologize," Motoko finally stammered, "So I'm sorry for what I did last week!"

Tohru blinked in bewilderment, obviously shocked by this. That was the last thing Tohru would have suspected to be the reason for Motoko's visit. She couldn't even find words to respond with. Actually, she wasn't even sure how she felt about the apology. All she could do was stare at Motoko, unable to even conceal the surprise glazed over her eyes. Motoko gazed back at her, but Tohru couldn't figure out what emotion lay in the depths of her dark eyes. It was either deep shame for what she had done last week or mocking conceit. Tohru wasn't sure which, so she gave Motoko the benefit of the doubt, deciding to believe her apology was sincere.

"You didn't need to come over to do that," Tohru beamed, "I'm not mad at you anymore."

At first, Tohru wasn't even sure if she had meant what she had said, but after careful consideration, she realized she had said nothing but the truth. Grudges weren't something she was good at holding, regardless of what had happened to upset her. According to Yuki, she was too forgiving for her own good. Speaking of him, she had to wake him soon. If she didn't, he'd be in bed past dinner time.

"Tohru?" a voice suddenly called.

Before she could turn around, Tohru found an arm suddenly encircling her waist, pulling her against a warm chest. Slanting her head backwards, she found Yuki staring down at her. Tohru openly gaped at him, something he simply chuckled at. Not only was he awake before noon on the weekend, but he was fully conscious as well. She would have continued to gawk in disbelief if he hadn't planted a kiss on her eyelid and forced her to look away in embarrassment. He laughed at her reaction, but she managed to force herself to ignore that when she greeted him.

"Good morning, Yuki-kun! I thought you were still sleeping!" Tohru exclaimed.

"Actually, I got up at seven," Yuki informed her.

Tohru raised her eyebrows in disbelief, "But it's Saturday! What were you doing up so early?"

"That's what I wanted to show you. Come with me," Yuki grinned as he took her hand.

About to take Tohru away, he froze when he noticed Motoko standing a couple of feet from him. His grip around Tohru tightened, and he pulled her against his chest in an almost protective gesture, making Tohru blush a deeper red than before. She didn't need to look up to know what kind of expression would be across his face. He would practically be glaring at Motoko. Yuki had made his feelings towards Motoko clear every time someone would bring her up. Tohru didn't even need to hear the words that followed. The way his eyes would narrow darkened his face to a degree that even scared her.

"What are you doing here?" Yuki questioned suspiciously.  
"I'm apologizing for what I did last week," Motoko whispered softly.

Yuki raised his eyebrows skeptically. After half a minute of speculation, he shrugged and took Tohru by the elbow. Tohru stumbled after him as he towed her along urgently, half out of the desire to show her some unknown object and half to get her as far from Motoko as he could. He wasn't up to dealing with Motoko today.

"I'm going to borrow Tohru for a moment," he called back towards Motoko.

"Where are we going?" Tohru asked.

"Just come," he urged impatiently.

He tugged her hand, pulling her deeper into the house. Tohru let him drag her towards the garage, where he stopped. She eyed the garage door quizzically, but he only grinned at her reaction that he had obviously been expecting. He paused for a moment before opening the door. Yuki pulled out of the garage before he turned any of the lights on and faced her. He glanced back inside the garage uncertainly, seeing something she couldn't in the darkness. Suddenly wishing he had thought to bring a blindfold, he gestured to her eyes with both of his hands.

"Close your eyes," he ordered quickly.

Tohru did so without a second of hesitation. Reaching forward, she let her hands find his before she dared to move from where she stood. Having fallen enough lately even with the aid of sight, she was frightened to know what she was capable of doing without looking. She could hear the click of the light switch and a chuckle from Yuki as he began to slowly lead her towards their destination. He all but carried her to where he wanted her to stand. Tohru didn't complain, too grateful for the support to even think about being embarrassed. She had tried to sneak a peek, but he had covered her eyes with his hands before she saw anything other than his fingers.

"Okay, open them," he breathed after what seemed like an eternity to her.

As soon as he lifted his palm from her face, she snapped her eyes open quickly, her breath catching when she spotted the crib inches from her. Her jaw dropped at the beautiful cradle. She couldn't believe it when she noticed the designs engraved into the wood. Little rice balls and mice had been craved into the bars of wood, dancing around vines of flowers. Incredulously, Tohru ran her hands over the smooth, white wood, and her fingers traced the patterns slowly. She peered back at Yuki with her eyebrows almost reaching her hairline.

"It's beautiful… When did you get it?" she inquired in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I made it," he answered bluntly.

"Made it?" she repeated, her eyes wider than before.

"Yes. You know with wood, nails, paint, and sandpaper."

Taking another look at the intricately designed cradle, Tohru gasped. She shifted her gaze back and forth from the crib to Yuki for a whole minute before her eyes finally settled on the bucket of white paint, stacks of wood, pieces of sandpaper, and various tools scattered about in the corner of the nearly empty garage. She was too excited to even take note of the other forms hidden under large white sheets on the other end of wall. Gratefully, she hopped up onto the tips of her toes and gave Yuki a quick peck on the lips.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love you!" Tohru cried ecstatically.

He laughed, "It's not exactly for you. You don't have to thank me. But I love you too."

Hardly satisfied with the brief kiss she had offered, Yuki bent his head down and captured her lips with his. Tohru was unresponsive at first, too embarrassed as he reminded her of her dream. Her humiliation was furthered when she heard someone impatiently tap his foot. Immediately, she shoved him away shyly, facing her bare feet when she caught sight of Motoko's malice-filled eyes. Yuki eyed her strangely before he glanced over his shoulder. He found Motoko scowling at their intimacy. She was just short of shaking with rage.

"I don't see why you like her! There's nothing appealing about her! She's not that pretty, and her breasts are only big because she's pregnant!" Motoko shouted as she glared at Yuki.

"She's pregnant with _my_ child though. And on the contrary, I find _my girlfriend_ to be beautiful. Besides, how can anyone not love Tohru? Have you ever spoken to her before? If you haven't, you truly don't know what kindness, selflessness, respect, and acceptance are. She doesn't mind if you're mean or ugly or have numerous bad traits. She'll still care about you. She's amazing, really. To find someone so gorgeous inside and out is a miracle. I'm still surprised that she actually loves me back," Yuki admitted.

Seconds after a silence had fallen among them, Tohru yanked on Yuki's sleeve three times. Assuming she was upset with how harshly he had put that, he didn't turn around to face her as he responded, "Sorry, Tohru. That can't be put in a nicer way-"

"Yuki-kun… It hurts…" Tohru interrupted him.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Yuki spun around frantically and swept her into his arms. His eyes widened in alarm when he noticed the blood that was trickling down her legs and staining the ground. Her once pink skirt was now darkened with the sticky, red liquid. Tohru had her arms locked tightly around her large abdomen as her face twisted with pain. Her breathing turned hoarse as the color drained from her face. If she could focus on something other than the agony rocketing through her midriff, she may have been concerned about the blood gathering in a puddle beneath her. He could hear her heart pound loudly, and he was almost afraid it'd leap out of her chest.

"What does?" he asked in a frightened tone.  
"Everything!" Tohru wailed, covering her face.

Yuki brushed past Motoko coldly, "If you're not going to be useful, just leave, please."

He carried Tohru back into the house hurriedly, and laid her down on the ground. Afraid she was going into shock, he tore off his sweater and draped it over her body. He then cleared her forehead of the droplets of sweat, using the edge of his sleeves. Yuki was struggling to keep his terror under control in attempt to keep Tohru as placid as possible, but it had little to no effect at all. Tears were trailing down her cheeks now, though he couldn't decide whether the cause was fear or pain. For once, she wasn't worried about ruining Shigure's flooring.

"My baby!" Tohru screeched.

"She'll be fine. Shh…" he soothed her uneasily.

Watching the pool of blood grow, Yuki grimaced.

"I'll be right back!" he exclaimed before standing and rushing off.

He grabbed the nearest phone and called for an ambulance, explaining the situation and giving the woman his address as calmly as he could manage to. When he returned, Tohru instantly clasped her hands around his shirt, clinging to him with a petrified expression. Yuki covered her clammy hands with his warmer ones, trying to transfer heat into them. His fingers encircled her thin wrists, and his concern tripled at the feeble pulse he felt. She didn't try to speak anymore, but her panic was easily conveyed through her frenzied actions and bitter sobs.

"Don't worry…. Everything will be all right," he murmured.

Yuki stroked her back reassuringly, holding her tightly against his chest. Tohru was weeping and praying as her ears strained to hear the screech of the ambulance alarm. She urged it on impatiently, but when it finally arrived, she was suddenly unsure. Tohru clung to Yuki frightfully when she heard the vehicle pull up to the house. The unlocked door was shoved open, and neither of the two paramedics dared to try to separate Tohru from Yuki as they helped her onto the stretcher. Nobody even noticed that Motoko had followed them as they boarded the ambulance.

"What happened?" the male paramedic asked, facing Yuki since Tohru seemed too hysterical to think coherently, let alone talk.

"Something's wrong with her pregnancy. She's bleeding and in pain," Yuki explained.

They nodded, fumbling around with equipment as the inserted an IV into her arm and covered her mouth with the oxygen mask. The paramedics could hardly question further over Tohru's blubbering. Her wails were all they heard, despite how the mask doubled as a muffler, until they arrived at the hospital and were wheeling her off to the emergency room. Tohru was instantly quieted when she realized she was going to get torn away from Yuki. The lock her hands had formed around his shirt was suddenly ruptured as a nearby nurse pried her fingers loose.

"Yuki… Yuki! Yuki-kun!" Tohru shrieked.

Nobody bothered to acknowledge her protests, pushing her through the double doors that signaled the end of Yuki's journey. Yuki stopped at the entrance to the emergency room, standing there perfectly still as he waited for news of Tohru. He stayed there until a nurse ushered him into the waiting room when he started to get in the way of new patients. Noticing Motoko was in there, Yuki frowned and chose the seat furthest from her. His efforts went to waste, however. Motoko jumped up immediately and claimed the seat directly to his right. Yuki inched to his left, tempted to just stand, but knowing she'd follow him regardless, he remained in the plastic seat stiffly.

"I don't see why you came. You don't even like Tohru," Yuki muttered in her direction.

"I like _you_," she responded in what sounded like a hopeful tone.

"I love _Tohru_," Yuki told her firmly.

"I've loved you longer than she has. I've loved you since your first day at high school. She's not even in your fan club! I love you so much more than she does!" Motoko cried furiously.

Yuki sighed, "How can you say you love me when you know nothing about me? I'll be honest. I'm not too fond of you at the moment either. Actually, I haven't been quite fond of you since last week. Would you just leave?"

A hurt look crossed Motoko's face, but Yuki was in no mood to apologize. The looks he received from the few people around them that had overheard what he had said didn't bother him either. He just ignored them as he peered at the emergency room doors. Yuki could think of little else other than the safety of Tohru and their child. Motoko would have said more in her attempt to persuade him to leave Tohru and date her, but the appearance of a breathless orange haired teenager interrupted her. Kyo, on the other hand, didn't even seem to notice her as he stomped over to Yuki.

"Where is she?" Kyo snapped.

"In there," Yuki replied with a gesture towards the emergency room.

"For how long?"

"She's been in there for almost an hour," Yuki answered.

"Is she going to be okay?"

Yuki shrugged, "Physically, I assume yes. But not mentally if she loses the baby."

"What happened?" Kyo questioned.

"I don't know… She just cried out in pain suddenly and started to bleed."

Kyo went silent after that and leaned against the wall across from Yuki. The three waited in a delicate silence, periodically broken by sobs from nearby people, for another ten minutes before a doctor came through the pair of doors they were all staring at. All eyes rose to him hopefully, but most turned back downwards when he called for the family of someone Yuki didn't bother to remember. All he knew was that the doctor didn't have news of Tohru. Yuki frowned, but he could hardly sulk before the next doctor called for him. He shot up instantly and rushed up, followed closely by Kyo.

"Is Tohru going to be okay?" they demanded in unison.

The doctor nodded, "She's fine. We believe she has a case of placenta abruptio, also known as placental abruption, meaning her placenta has begun to separate from the uterine lining too early."

"How bad is it?" Yuki inquired worriedly.

"We can't be sure until she gives birth."

"Will the baby be all right as well?" Yuki asked.

"We assume so. The child is stable at the moment, and so is the mother. The blood flow has hindered, so everything should be all right, but we're going to keep her here for a few days at least for observation and in case she needs an emergency delivery."

"But it's too soon-"  
"We're making her take corticosteroids to speed up the child's lung development, and she's on bed rest, so it'll be fine."

Kyo stepped forward, tired of this conversation he couldn't understand. All he could pick out between strings of medical vocabulary he didn't know was that Tohru and the baby were fine, but that's all he truly cared about. He shoved Yuki aside before he could ask another question about Tohru's condition and turned to the doctor. Yuki could bother the guy later with the rest of his endless questions when Kyo wouldn't be forced to listen. Yuki seemed irked, but he didn't comment or retaliate.

"Can we see her?" Kyo finally interjected.

"She's a bit tired, but yes, you may. She can have visitors as soon as we get her into a room."

Yuki's eyes flickered over to the swinging doors of the emergency room just as Tohru was getting wheeled out. Her eyes lit up, and she shot up in the stretcher, ignoring the nurse who tried to get her to lie back down. Her hands reached out towards him, and if someone weren't trying to keep her on the stretcher, she would have jumped off by now and leapt into his arms. Yuki instantly darted over to her, taking her hands into his. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but the staff there to transport Tohru didn't seem willing to stop for their reunion.

"Yuki!" Tohru exclaimed.

"Are you okay?" he questioned frantically.

"Yes! They told me that the baby would be fine too!" Tohru chirped happily.

"That's wonderful," he grinned.

Kyo followed them uneasily as they were led to an empty room down the hall. Tohru was laid on the bed as the medical equipment was arranged around her. He watched her eyes follow the two stands to her left, one with a bag of blood and the other filled with a semitransparent liquid. Before she could even lay her eyes on the tips of the needles taped to her arms, Yuki took her chin in his hands and turned her face away, unintentionally bringing her attention to where Kyo was partially hiding in the corner of the room.

"Kyo-kun! You came…" Tohru smiled.

"Uh… yeah. I was worried. 'Cause you know, all that damn rat would say was that you were in the emergency room!" Kyo told her with an annoyed glare at Yuki.

"I'm sorry! I made you and Yuki-kun worry, didn't I? You don't have to stay! I made you skip out on a lesson, right?" she asked, noting the martial arts uniform that still adorned his body.

Kyo looked away embarrassedly, "It's okay. The lesson's over now. There's no point in going back."

"I made you miss your lesson?" Tohru inquired fretfully.

Yuki smiled at her and stroked her arm, "Don't worry about the dumb cat. It's fine. He goes there almost everyday now. It doesn't matter if he misses just one."

"Yeah," Kyo agreed.

Despite their assurances, Tohru still seemed to be fussing over the accidental consequences of her trip to the hospital. Before she could apologize to either of them again, Yuki ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her to his chest, temporarily distracting her as he pressed his lips to the top of her head. Though he managed to make Tohru flustered enough that she couldn't think coherently enough to continue speaking, he was more successful in making Kyo feel more uncomfortable. Kyo was already inching towards the door, eager to retreat now that he knew Tohru was safe.

Yuki changed the subject before Tohru brought it up again, "You're hungry, aren't you? You haven't eaten all day. Should I go get someone to bring you lunch?"

"You don't have to. I can wait," Tohru replied.

He just patted her shoulder, "Don't worry. It doesn't bother me at all."

Managing to slip out of Tohru's iron grasp, Yuki headed for the door, despite Tohru's mild protests. She called him back, insisting that she was content for the moment, but he all but ignored her. He could see through her pitiful façade, spotting the guilt in her brown orbs. Yuki knew her well enough to know she wouldn't want him to search for food for her, regardless of how short that trip may be. Besides, he could hear the low grumble of her stomach she had tried to hide. He paused at the doorway, turning around before he stepped out.

"Kyo, can you tell everyone about Tohru?" Yuki requested.

Kyo was about to agree when Tohru interrupted, "Wait! Don't! I don't want to worry everyone! Don't tell them!"

"Tohru, they're going to figure out something's wrong when you don't show up at school on Monday," Yuki pointed out.

"I'll call them then. Tomorrow."

"Call Shigure at least. He knows about Tohru," Yuki told them.

Kyo briefly nodded as Yuki raced from the room. He glanced at Tohru's concerned gaze before picking up the phone beside her. He frowned before dialing their home phone number and listening to the phone ring five times. Kyo tossed it back onto the receiver as soon as he heard the machine begin to play Shigure's prerecorded voice asking for a message. Tohru stared at him in confusion, clearly not understanding Kyo's irritated actions.

"He's not there," Kyo muttered.

"Oh no! He's probably worried sick!" Tohru exclaimed.

"He's probably at the main house blabbing to Hatori. I'll go over and tell him," Kyo offered.

"I don't want to make you do that!" she squeaked.

"I have to tell Shishou anyways and get my old clothes. Don't worry. You probably want to be alone anyways," Kyo mumbled.

He awkwardly patted her head twice as a farewell. Tohru responded with a wide grin, taking his hand into hers and squeezing it lightly. Unsure of how to react to her gesture, he looked away, trying to keep her from spotting the faint red tint to his tan cheeks. Tohru was too oblivious to make much of his shyness. Kyo tugged his fingers out of his with a slight upturn of his lips before he trotted away. Tohru waved cheerfully, even though he didn't turn around –where she could see, at least.

A minute after the sound of Kyo's footsteps had died away, the door to Tohru's room creaked open. She looked up with a smile, believing it to be Yuki returning with her lunch, but Motoko's arrival startled her yet again. Motoko didn't say a word as she stepped towards Tohru and took a seat in the chair by her bed. She peered up at Tohru with agony filled eyes that made Tohru pull back in surprise. Motoko bowed her head sadly, hesitating before she grasped onto one of Tohru's hands. Believing Motoko had been worried about her, Tohru patted Motoko's pale hand with her free one. Motoko finally met her gaze again, and Tohru could have sworn her anguish had doubled.

"Motoko-sempai! You didn't have to stay here! I didn't mean to bother you!" Tohru cried.

"Please… Tohru, please give me Yuki. I need him. I've loved him for so long. I-I don't know what to do without him. Tohru, please. As a woman, you must understand how I feel," Motoko breathed.

Tohru stared at her, almost too flabbergasted to respond.

"But I need Yuki-kun too. I- I'm in love with him. I c-can't do that!" Tohru exclaimed.

"Tohru…." Motoko started helplessly.

"I can't! I can't give him away like that! You say you love him, but I do too! I need him too! And our baby… She needs her father too… I- I can't give him away… I love him," Tohru sniffled, shaking her head in a frenzy of refusals.

Tohru covered her mouth with her hand as tears began to pour out. How could she even consider letting Yuki go, let alone be the one to end their relationship? He had been the one thing that had allowed her to get this far in her pregnancy or more generally, her life. She couldn't even picture what her life would have been like if he hadn't found her living in that tent and allowed her to stay with him and Shigure. Tohru doubted she would be the person she was today. Though they never spoke of it, it was Yuki and the rest of the Sohmas who had managed to get her to truly smile after her mother had died. But most of all, he had taught her what true love was. She flushed at that thought but said no more.

Stepping around the door, Yuki finally announced his presence with the soft clamor the tray of food made as it hit the table by Tohru.

"Motoko-sempai, I'm in love with Tohru. I love her with all my heart, and that won't change even if she were to give me to you. If she did that, it wouldn't make me love you or stop loving her. Whether you believe she's using black magic or blackmailing me is no concern of mine, but let me tell you this, if you dare make Tohru cry again, you'll surely regret it. I love Tohru, and you –or anything else for that matter- can't change that," Yuki told Motoko seriously.

Dejected, Motoko stood up and left the room wordlessly. Tohru lifted her hand towards her, about to call out, but Yuki shook his head at her. He sat down on the edge of her bed and leaned forward to trap her in an embrace. Yuki only pulled away for a quick second to kiss away the tears that had begun to leak down her face. Embarrassedly, she ducked her head under his shoulder. Suppressing laughter, he plopped his chin on top of her head. He caressed her cheeks with the tips of his fingers, relieved she was too embarrassed to be feeling guilty over Motoko's unrequited love.

"Thank you, Tohru… Thank you for loving me enough to not have agreed with her. I was afraid you would agree with her, not that that would have changed anything…. I'm just glad you didn't…" Yuki muttered.

"I do love you," Tohru beamed.

"I love you more…" he replied with a smile, "You worried me back there. Are you sure you're all right? Nothing hurts anymore?"

"Nope! I'm fine!" Tohru assured him.

He could have held her for the rest of the day, but he broke away when he remembered her lunch sitting inches from them. Although she did insist that an early lunch was unnecessary, he was glad to find that he didn't need to force feed her, but she did make him share her lunch -she was aware that he hadn't eaten yet since there had been no leftovers in the refrigerator, and she was familiar with his 'culinary skills'.

Yuki stayed there, keeping her company until night fall, and visiting hours started to come to a close. The moon had replaced the sun in the now dark sky, and they had just finished a short dinner. They could both hear chatter and footsteps as other visitors nearby shuffled into their jackets and started to leave. Tohru's grip around his fingers tightened after she glanced at the clock. Yuki peered at the sturdy clasp she had formed around him and then at her distressed expression. Calmly, he brushed her hair from her face with his other hand, sliding his hand over her cheek when he finished.

"They're going to kick me out pretty soon," Yuki frowned.

"No! Don't leave! I don't want to stay here alone!" Tohru squealed, clinging to his arm.

He chuckled as he freed himself and laid her back down.

"Shall I sneak back in through the window?" he offered.

She was about to nod but then remembered that she was on the sixth floor. There was a tree inches from the window with a thick sturdy branch though… Tohru dismissed the idea as soon as it came. She refused to endanger him over some silly hospital policies and her fear of staying here alone, even though she was positive he was physically capable of climbing up the tree and jumping to her window. Her gaze shifted back towards her door where streams of people were passing by on their way to the elevator, and her apprehension grew.

"No, no, no! Just don't leave! Stay with me! Please?" Tohru stammered.

"What are we going to do when a nurse comes?" Yuki questioned.

"I won't let them take you! I'll beg!" Tohru cried.

He laughed, and they spent the next half hour plotting plans to convince the hospital staff to let him to stay. When someone did arrive to remind them that visiting hours were over, their plans were deemed unnecessary as the nurses turned out to be very reasonable and even offered to get him a cot to sleep in. Though taken aback, they both accepted, and so, after shoving the bed beside Tohru's, Yuki slept with his hand interlaced with Tohru's.


	31. Week 31

Tohru nearly jumped out of bed when she heard familiar footsteps coming towards her. She had been waiting for hours until school let out and let her precious Yuki return home. But now that he was in the house, it seemed he was walking extra slow to torment her. By the time he had pushed open the ajar door and revealed himself, she was seated on the edge of her bed eagerly. She would have darted over and leapt into his arms if he wouldn't scold her for doing so. Instead, Tohru sat there as patiently as she could, extending her arms out towards him.

The edges of his lips tugged up instantly as he walked over and embraced her tightly. She buried her face happily into his chest. It had been a long day, lying in bed with nothing to do. She had been deprived of another's presence since early this morning before Yuki had left. Shigure only popped in periodically and just for short intervals of time.

The only thing that kept her smiling was knowing that as soon as Yuki was home, she'd have him all to herself for several hours. Despite that he brought home lectures, class work, and homework home for her, the first few laboring hours were worth it. Afterwards, he'd stay with her until she fell asleep, laying on her bed with his ear pressed to her large abdomen, listening to their child stir as he told her about what happened at school that day. She had never known he was so observant. He'd tell her about how the Yuki fan club would pick up a napkin he had used during lunch or a pencil stub he had thrown out. Later on, she realized he was just paying more attention for her so she wouldn't feel like she was missing out on a thing.

She felt guilty, especially since he also took notes for her and carried all her things home.

Tohru had enough things to feel guilty about. Already, she was making Hatori come over every day to check on how she and her baby were, and she wasn't allowed to do anything for them in return. Yuki was washing the dishes for her since she wasn't supposed to get out of bed, Kyo was cooking half the time since Yuki didn't want her up even though the doctor permitted her to cook for short periods as long as she sat down while doing so, and the three men were putting in their best effort to keep the house as clean as Tohru did while she lay in bed all day and did nothing. Yuki always assured her that she had nothing to worry about, but his words never eased much of her guilt.

It didn't matter how much work he had to do that day. He'd spend hours doing his homework, tutoring her, cleaning, and washing dishes, yet he always managed to make time for her every day. He'd never complain about his work or his lack of sleep and listen to her grievances with an understanding smile. That smile of his never faltered, not when he was repeating the school lectures for her the second time or even when it was midnight and he was staying up with her because she had laid in bed all day and now couldn't sleep, but now, she could tell the faint smile on his face was forced. Worried she had done something to offend him, she touched his cheek hesitantly. He simply sighed.

"Tohru, Hatori already pulled a lot of strings to let you be allowed to return home. You're on bed rest. No getting out of bed," Yuki reminded her sternly.

"I-I didn't!" Tohru lied feebly.

"So who washed the dishes and put them away?" Yuki inquired.

Tohru looked down, hanging her head in defeat. She knew he hated how she'd sneak around to do some cleaning when he was at school and how Shigure didn't bother to enforce her bed rest, but she just couldn't stand making them do her work while she did nothing all day. Yuki, especially, was exhausted. She could tell by the faint purple crescents under his eyes that hadn't left since she had been in the hospital. All she had wanted to do was help him, but he seemed angry that she had tried. Tohru hadn't meant to anger him. She hadn't even thought he'd notice that she had washed the plates and cups in the sink.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

Yuki sighed again, "I know it's boring… And I'm sorry about that, but please, please just stay in bed. For me, okay?"

Tohru nodded, helplessly. It wasn't a recent discovery that she couldn't refuse anything he asked her to do. She couldn't lift her head to meet his gaze. Expecting him to lecture her more or even to accuse her of not caring for their child properly, she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth together to ready herself for the blow, but instead of reprimanding her, he brushed his fingers gingerly across her cheek and pressed his lips to the tip of her nose. She was too shocked to even be embarrassed when he pulled her against his chest and tucked her head under his chin.

"Don't be so glum. Look who came to visit today," Yuki smiled, gesturing towards the door.

Her eyes lit up when she saw her two friends at her door.

"Uo-chan! Hana-chan!" Tohru squeaked happily.

She was about to hop out of bed to hug both of them, but Yuki's embrace kept her locked firmly in place. Noticing her friends were staring at her, her cheeks flared a bright shade of scarlet. Being too weak to break out of his hold, she burrowed her face into his shoulder, trying her best to hide her flush. It was too late to keep them from seeing her red cheeks though, and she knew she was never going to hear the end of their teasing. They were already laughing –or at least Uo was- as they pried Tohru off of Yuki and hugged her themselves.

"No one's here but us teens! You know what that means!" Uo exclaimed excitedly after pulling away from Tohru a bit to look at the two of them.

Tohru and Yuki peered at her, equally perplexed, "What?"

"Strip poker!" she announced with a wink.

"Eh?!" Tohru squeaked.

"I'll get Kyon Kyon, and we'll all play!" Uo offered with a wide grin.

At that comment, Yuki cut in. He yanked Tohru out of Uo's arms and held her protectively against his chest. Letting Tohru play strip poker was a stretch already, but allowing her to play while another male was in the room would earn a definite refusal from him, especially since Tohru had no talent in card games. She barely even knew the rules of poker, let alone any strategies. Tohru leaned against him with a confused smile, not yet fully grasping what the game would involve.

"She won't be participating," Yuki almost growled.

Uo just laughed, "Loosen up!"

Ignoring Yuki, Uo left the room snickering and returned within minutes, holding a deck of cards and dragging a scowling Kyo behind her. She dropped him in the middle of the room and sat down on the floor. Uo began dealing the cards with a smirk, grabbing onto the back of Kyo's shirt when he tried to escape. He wasn't sure what was going on, but if Uo wanted him here, he doubted he'd want to stay. Kyo had been taught not to attack women, but at the moment, he was hardly even considering Uo a female. He was tempted to slip out of his shirt and flee, but Uo seemed to guess his plan and moved her hand to his upper arm, forming an unbreakable shackle there.

"Let go! Let go of me!" Kyo snapped.

"No way! We're playing strip poker!" Uo declared.

"I never said I was playing!" Kyo shouted.

Kyo glowered at the blonde, but she just glared back. A second later, they both had the other's shirt tangled in their fists and were on the verge of a fight. Kyo's free hand was wrenched into a large fist, and Uo was flaunting the bloody, iron pipe she always seemed to have on her. Tohru wanted to jump up and stop them before they could start, but Yuki's arms held her back. He didn't want her to get entangled in the imminent bout of violence and sustain another injury. Though confined to her bed, she somehow managed to give herself bruises and small scrapes. He refused to let her in harm's way, keeping her there with Hana and him.

After minutes of squabbling, they all wound up seated in a circle on the floor with five cards in each of their hands –with the exception of Tohru who was lying in bed.

"I got a three of a kind," Kyo announced, displaying his three fours proudly.

"I got a straight!" Uo declared proudly, "I beat you Kyon Kyon!"

"I got a straight flush," Hana told them.

"I have a four of a kind," Yuki said as he laid down his four aces.

"Ah… I have… Um… Nothing…" Tohru admitted.

She meekly set down a one, a three, an eight, a nine, and a jack –all of various suits. They all raised their eyebrows in disbelief before their expressions darkened with pity. Tohru continued to beam at them obliviously, having forgotten that there was a punishment for losing even though they didn't have any chips or money displayed. Her expression turned to bewilderment when after a minute theirs hadn't. As Yuki pulled the edge of her blanket up to her shoulders and wrapped his arm around her possessively, she finally recalled the entire name of this game with a deep blush.

Without fully thinking his actions through, Yuki handed Tohru two of his aces. "There. We'll both have one pair," he decided.

Tohru grinned happily and took the two cards with a large smile. Ignoring the baffled expressions everyone else in the room gave him, Yuki returned her smile and patted her arm gently.

"You do realize that now you both have to strip, right?" Uo pointed out.

Tohru swallowed nervously as her cheeks darkened. She lifted her blanket shyly, trying to hide behind the pink comforter. She snuck a brief glance at Kyo then at Yuki before she completely ducked her head under her blanket only to whimper when Uo tore the blanket from her. Instantly, she grasped one of her pillows and buried her face in it, but that too was soon taken from her. Desperate now, she locked her arms around Yuki's shoulders, glad he had been sitting so close to her bed as she slid her face behind his head. Her defense strategy proved ineffective. Uo was just about to pull her out, but Hana's firm fingers held her in place.

"No, Tohru shall not remove anything in the presence of other men," Hana interjected calmly.

Uo nodded, agreeing thoughtfully after a minute of consideration, "Prince, it's all you then."

"No! Wait!" Tohru squealed, "I lost! Yuki-kun was just being nice!"

She clutched Yuki's arm to her chest. Uo hadn't even given her a mere second to celebrate her freedom from her penalty before presenting her with this equally as bad alternative. Tohru slipped her arms around Yuki's chest, shaking her head fervently when Uo gestured towards his clothing. Guiltily, her fingers hopped around on her bed until she found the two cards Yuki had given her and shoved them back towards Yuki, but he refused to take the cards from her with a chuckle. Yuki just nonchalantly leaned against her with a grin.

"Arisa, Tohru must want to keep the Prince's bare body to herself. We must respect her wishes," Hana declared.

"Fine… But Prince, you're stripping for Tohru later."

"Wh-What?!" Tohru cried.

"You better do it. We'll know if you didn't," Uo warned Yuki.

"T-That's unnecessary! I already s-saw!" Tohru exclaimed.

Tohru clamped her mouth shut once she realized what she had said. Soon, her face resembled a tomato too closely for her own health. Her head dropped, and she couldn't even look at Yuki's hair anymore. Swallowing nervously, she slipped her arms away from him and scooted into the center of her bed. His head fell onto the mattress, and out of her peripheral vision, she could see that he was staring at her. Tohru didn't dare probe deeper to see whether that was a smile on his face or not. She was too distracted by Uo's gasps. Each one reminded her that she needed to come up with an explanation quickly, and each one reminded her that her mind was blank. There was no other scenario she could think of that even came close to the Sohma curse and their nudity when they returned to their human forms.

"What did you get say?!" Uo nearly screamed.

"Umm… You- You see… I-I… w-walked in on Yuki-kun when he got out of the shower before!" Tohru explained, lying feebly.

Uo was too worked up to even notice the obvious signs of Tohru's lies like her averted eyes or the shame in her brown orbs. Hana, however, was as stoic as ever, not revealing whether she was shocked by Tohru's news or if she had even seen through the fib. Tohru was too relieved to care. The last thing she wanted to do was risk angering Akito and get her memories erased after revealing their well hidden curse. Uo's crazed frenzy disappeared within seconds and was quickly replaced by a smirk, but Tohru didn't even notice until Uo spoke.

"Did you like what you saw?" Uo questioned teasingly.

"Eh?" Tohru squeaked timidly.

Uo was going to press further, but Yuki lifted his hand to stop her.

"Why don't we play something else now?" he suggested.

"What? You don't want to know?" Uo laughed.

"I think we should stop pestering Tohru. I think all her blood will be in her face soon, and the baby will starve," he smiled.

"Fine…" Uo reluctantly agreed, "Let's play Truth or Dare!"

Despite disagreements, everyone remained in the room –with the help of some force- only to leave for the kitchen when Uo decided they needed to make a mystery beverage for someone to drink if he refused to follow through with a dare or refused to tell the truth. Tohru was the only one left in her bedroom until they returned, holding a container full of an indescribably colored drink. For a minute, all she could do was stare at the liquid and the multicolored objects swirling around in it, wondering what they could have put in it.

"What's in there?" Tohru asked uneasily.

"A gallon of spoiled milk," Kyo announced.

"A bottle of wasabi!" Uo snickered.

"Four rotten strawberries are in there for you, Tohru, and I put in leeks and miso," Yuki grinned, throwing a smirk in Kyo's direction.

"Yuki-kun! I didn't say rotten strawberries!" Tohru cried.

Yuki shrugged, "You eat so many. I didn't want to waste good ones."

She stared at the red lumps covered in unappealing, white fuzz, at the bottom of the drink. As sickening as the prior ingredients had to be mixed together, she didn't think they needed moldy fruit as well. She was already regretting her bed rest. They couldn't even throw away spoiled food and beverages. Regardless of their efforts, she was sure their home was slowly creeping back to its former state. She wasn't only abandoning her house duties, however. Knowing how much time Yuki spent with her, she was sure she was making him neglect his garden in addition to being unable to tend to her own small tasks there, but Yuki hardly seemed to mind, though they clearly needed new fruit.

"And a pint of blood," Hana finished the list emotionlessly.

"Blood?!" Tohru repeated in a shocked voice.

"I thought that was wine!" Uo gasped.

Giving no indication as to whether she had been joking about adding bodily fluids into the mixture, Hana just stared back at the four of them, unfazed by their shock and disgust. They had to wonder where she had gotten the blood and hidden it this entire time, but nobody was brave enough to ask. It was only now that Yuki and Kyo began to notice that Shigure was being awfully quiet in his office downstairs. They exchanged identical expressions. Kyo peered at the floor, in the direction of where Shigure's office was below, and Yuki nodded, confirming Kyo's suspicions. A second later, they both shrugged carelessly. Keeping their assumptions to themselves, they listened to the rest of the rules.

"If you decide not to follow through with a dare or if you lie during a truth, you must drink this," Uo continued, uncertain now.

Tohru cringed, wrapping her arms around her abdomen worriedly. Something like that couldn't be good for her child, especially since she could swear she had just seen something move in there. Even if she weren't pregnant, she wasn't sure she'd be able to make herself gulp that down. She could only imagine what the taste was like, but she had nothing she could even compare her guesses to. The wretched smell was already making her nauseous, and the bottle had a lid and was locked away securely in a transparent bag. Noting Tohru's horrified expression, Yuki chuckled softly before patting her on the head.

"Don't worry. No one would make you drink that," Yuki assured her.

"B-But what if I can't do the dare? Or if I don't want to tell the truth?" Tohru inquired fretfully.

"I'll drink it for you," he offered.

"I-I couldn't make you do that!" Tohru squeaked.

"Then don't refuse to do a dare or tell the truth," he smiled simply.

She bit her lip nervously, too terrified to agree to play this game now. Putting herself at risk was one thing, but she didn't think she could put Yuki in danger's outstretched hand. Who knew what the effects of drinking such a beverage would be? The guilt would overwhelm her if they dared her to do something she couldn't. Although Yuki didn't seem to mind, she couldn't help but worry. Uo, on the other hand, seemed excited to begin and didn't give Tohru the opportunity to protest or to withdraw from the new game.

"Let's start with Kyon! Truth or dare?" Uo asked, malice coating her words.

"Dare," Kyo responded bravely.

"Kyon, I dare you to… Kiss the prince!" Uo ordered, trying her best not to laugh.

"What?! There's no way in hell I'm doing _that_!" Kyo roared.

"Drink it!"

Uo grinned as she held up the container of brownish gray liquid. She knew she could count on Kyo to provide her with entertainment. He was so predictable sometimes. Just his expression had her rolling on the floor in hysteria. He kept looking back and forth between the drink and Yuki, unable to figure out which fate would be worse, then his eyes drifted over to Tohru and the chaos embedded in her eyes. She didn't even look willing to let him follow through with the dare either. Wanting to pacify her, Kyo held his hand out for the drink that Uo was happy to give him, but he seemed to have misinterpreted Tohru's feelings.

"No! Wait! Don't!" Tohru cried, snatching the bottle from Uo before it touched Kyo's fingers.

"Tohru…." Uo started.

"Please don't make him…" Tohru pled.

"Fine! But next time he's going to drink it!" Uo grinned, already thinking about what she would dare him to do next.

After a second, she turned to Tohru with a wry smile, "Truth or dare?"

Tohru gasped and turned to Uo in confusion. For the first time, she took note of the order in which they were sitting –with Kyo to her left, Yuki on her right, Hana next to Yuki, and Uo after her. It was her turn, and Tohru was at a loss for what to do. After hearing what Uo had dared Kyo to do, Tohru was worried about the capabilities of Uo's imagination. Her other option wasn't better at all. Being Uo's best friend, she was well aware of Uo's interest in her relationship with Yuki. Afraid of what she'd make her confess, Tohru decided to go for the former choice.

"D-Dare?" Tohru stammered.

"Tohru, you kiss the prince then!" Uo commanded joyfully.

"What?!" Tohru choked out.

"Not a peck either! A nice, deep kiss! Do it or he has to drink it!" Uo laughed.

Tohru glanced back and forth between Yuki and the container with a horrified expression with her blush darkening by the second. As if to pressure her into making a decision, Uo waved the drink around. Taking one look at Tohru's dangerously dark face, Yuki reached for the drink calmly, but Tohru swatted his hands down worriedly. Squeezing her eyes shut timidly, she placed her hands onto Yuki's cheeks and pressed her lips firmly against his. She could tell he was shocked by his tense posture. Tohru could even feel his raised eyebrows under the tips of her fingers. Usually the beneficiary of a kiss and not the initiator, Tohru was at a loss for what to do, and Uo's hoots and whistling weren't helping. To her relief, he began to help her.

When she released him, she instantly dropped down onto her bed, holding a pillow over her face in humiliation. She tried to muffle out the sounds around her, but she couldn't, not when Uo felt compelled to take away all her comfort. The blonde stood abruptly and tossed the rest of Tohru's blankets and pillows onto the floor, keeping anything Tohru could cover herself with away from her. Tohru lied on her side helplessly, unable to hide her flushed face anymore since she was too large to even lie on her belly. Tohru took comfort in the fact that Uo was also laughing at the faint red taint to Yuki's otherwise pale face and that Hana couldn't seem to take her eyes away from the pink faced Kyo.

"Go Tohru! Since you actually went through with it, unlike someone else, go ahead and ask the Prince!" Uo sniggered.

"Umm… Um… Truth or dare, Yuki-kun?" Tohru asked uneasily.

"Truth," he replied, hoping to relieve some of the insecurities she had about their relationship.

"Who do you love most?" Tohru inquired curiously.

"You, of course. You know that," he answered with a smile.

"Really, really? More than anyone else in the entire world?" she questioned, clearly taken aback.

He nodded, making her fading blush return with new vigor. Though it was hard to read anything other than embarrassment on her face, Yuki could see hints at joy, and he was pleased with his decision, despite how Kyo was mocking him at the moment and referring to him with various synonyms for a coward. Yuki was almost angered with himself for not thinking of using this childish game to assure her of his feelings before. It seemed so simple, and it obviously worked. Tohru was practically radiating with belief. He wanted to give her another turn to eliminate more of her doubts, but Uo was anxious to keep the game going.

"Prince, dare Hana to do something," Uo interrupted.

Taking one glance into Hana's fearless, dark eyes, he shook his head, "I'll pass."

"Hana, dare me then!" Uo exclaimed.

"I dare you to go to the kitchen and get me a snack," Hana demanded lightly.

"That's not a dare…" Uo muttered disappointedly.

Hana didn't say anything else, tacitly daring Uo not to obey with a brief gesture towards the container in the center of the room. Uo grimaced and grudgingly left to go get the food. She returned with a couple bags of chips and presented them to Hana, who took them approvingly. Hana wasted no time, tearing the bags open instantly. Uo sighed, brushing her long bangs out of her eyes as she watched her friend. Three unentertaining turns in a row? She was about to give up on the game but her fervor returned quickly when she remembered it was Kyo's turn again.

"Your turn again, Kyon. Truth or dare?" Uo questioned.

"Truth…" Kyo grumbled.

"Who do you like?" Uo asked immediately.

"Hell! I'm not telling you!" Kyo snapped, jumping to his feet in humiliation.

Uo stole the drink from Tohru and held it out towards Kyo, making Tohru cry, "Uo-chan!"

"No, Tohru. He didn't tell me!" Uo responded irritably.

Kyo just glared at the drink.

"What? Too chicken?" Yuki asked with a smirk.

At that, Kyo snatched the bottle from Uo, uncapped it, held his breath, and poured the entire contents into his mouth. There was a pause of silence, no audible sound of swallowing, and then Kyo fled from the room, fighting back gagging noises. The empty container crashed to the ground, rolling around and hitting Uo's toes. Uo picked up the bottle with a grin. Tohru lurched forward anxiously, but Yuki gently pushed her back down, unyielding when she tried to get up. She tried to break his hold in vain, worried about Kyo. She had never seen his face so pale before, but nobody else seemed concerned at all.

"He's fine," Yuki assured her.

"But-"

"I'll kill you! Damn Yankee!" Kyo roared from the bathroom, interrupting Tohru and showing them all that he was well enough to threaten Uo.

"Whoops… See you later, Tohru, Prince. I better get my ass out of here before I die," Uo told them with a wink.

"I shall provide protection. Don't worry, Arisa. Goodbye, Tohru-kun," Hana added.

"Bye?" Tohru responded quizzically.

They both smiled at her and hugged her before a perfectly calm Hana followed a frantic Uo out the door. Tohru and Yuki were left alone in her room, listening to three pairs of footsteps, one loud, one quiet, and one hurried, fade into the distance. Once silence settled down between them again, weighing heavily in the air, they both glanced at one another briefly. Catching each other gazing back, they both looked away shyly. Before the atmosphere could even begin to get awkward or uncomfortable, her stomach released a loud growl, chasing the tension from the room.

He chuckled, "I'll go get you some dinner. Is leftover takeout all right?"

Tohru nodded.

"I miss your cooking though. Take out can't even compare," Yuki admitted.

Tohru flushed, making him chuckle as he headed down to the kitchen to heat up some food for her. Waiting for her dinner, she listened to Yuki rummaging around in the kitchen. Her eyes widened worriedly when she heard glass shattering and muted profanities. Worriedly, she sat up, about to head off to check on Yuki, but Kyo's presence at her door made her freeze. She laid back down immediately, accustomed to getting back into bed whenever someone spotted her because of Yuki. Tohru let out a breath of relief when she noticed that the color had returned to Kyo's face and that most of the anger had drifted away.

"Tohru…" Kyo started off uneasily, hesitating by the door.

"Kyo-kun! Come in! Come in!" Tohru called happily.

Kyo hung his head as he stepped into the room and sat down in the chair Yuki had been seated in moments ago. Tohru's smile faltered when she began to feel the melancholy aura seeping off of him. She had never seen him so gloomy before. He was always filled with an abundant amount of energy, but now all that vitality seemed to have leaked out. He didn't even seem to have any fury in him for what Uo had done. Concerned that the drink had made him ill, Tohru reached for his forehead to check his forehead, but he dismissed her fret filled gesture with a wave.

"Uh… I'm here to apologize," Kyo started awkwardly.

"Apologize? For what?" Tohru asked, blinking in confusion.

"For avoiding you so much these past months. For being so cold and unresponsive. For neglecting you," Kyo breathed, holding up a hand to stop her when she tried to interrupt him, "It's just, when I came back and you were running down the stairs and babbling about some baby, the goddamn rat's child of all people, I just couldn't accept it. I couldn't stand it, watching you blush at everything he did. It's not fair. I love you too. I wanted it to be my child you were carrying, and you can't believe how it hurt me to know it wasn't. And then you just had to be in love with him, had to date him. I refused to acknowledge that for a long time. Until now, actually."

"I didn't think he was good enough for you. He didn't deserve you, in my eyes. Watching him care for you, I really am accepting it. I know he can take care of you. He obviously is able to do that. How can I not see that when he checks on you almost every hour of the night?" Kyo mused out loud.

"Yuki comes into my room when I'm asleep?" Tohru squeaked.

"Yeah, every night. How could you not notice? He flips you over almost every time and fixes your blanket. I was confused at first, but he told me you can't sleep on your back or you could die. Apparently the weight of the baby shouldn't be on some important vein or something," Kyo told her.

"Oh no! No wonder Yuki-kun is so tired!" Tohru cried, her guilt doubling now.

"Yeah… I guess… So I'm sorry for the way I acted…" Kyo muttered.

"No, no! Don't apologize!" Tohru exclaimed.

His expression didn't lighten one bit, as if she hadn't said a thing. Fretfully, she leaned towards him and tossed her arms around his back. She hugged him tightly, trying her hardest to show him that she wasn't upset with him at all. Embarrassedly, he placed his arms around her back. Tohru could feel his discomfort through the five inch barrier he kept between their bodies. The size of her child increased the space between them, but from the doorway, it seemed pretty intimate, especially to her boyfriend who had never seen her hug another male before.

"Oh… I'm interrupting, aren't I? I'll just leave your dinner here, Tohru, and come back later," Yuki mumbled awkwardly.

Even Tohru could tell jealousy coated every word that had drifted out of his mouth. It took her a minute to figure out what he could even be upset about, but to her relief, she realized it before he could get out of the room. She released Kyo instantly. Tohru slid to the end of her bed, about to hop off and grab Yuki before he escaped, but she stopped when she remembered her baby. She was stuck. She couldn't jeopardize her unborn child, but she couldn't let her relationship with Yuki dangle over peril either.

"Wait! Yuki-kun!" Tohru cried.

"No, really. I'll just come back later," Yuki muttered.

"Stay! O-Or I'll have to chase after you!" Tohru feebly threatened.

Worried as usual about her bed rest, Yuki stiffly turned to face her. Tohru patted the space on her bed beside her. Yuki sighed, but obeyed, seating himself on the edge of her mattress. She covered his hand with hers, but he pulled away before she could even interlace their fingers. Noting his downcast face, Tohru latched herself to him, embracing him with all the strength she had, but he was unresponsive. She stretched up and planted a kiss on his cheek, yet he hardly looked her way, still sulking and glaring at Kyo who was making his way to the door.

"I love you, Yuki-kun," Tohru reminded him.

"More or less than you love Kyo?" he demanded in an almost bitter tone.

Tohru could feel her eyes sting at the uncharacteristic accusation, but she managed to hold back the tears, determined to straighten out this mess immediately. There was no reason to make him suffer unnecessarily, but she never thought she would ever have to assure him of her feelings for him. Normally, people were aware of their possessions, yet he didn't seem to know he had her heart.

"Let's play truth or dare again," Tohru suggested.

He threw her a baffled expression, obviously not following her train of thought. A game? She wanted to play a game when he was in the mood for murder? Yuki wanted to slaughter a certain cousin of his. He was hardly even restraining the malicious side of him, and the anxiety in her eyes told him she knew this, yet she was still insisting on playing a game? He wanted to wring Kyo's neck and would have if it wouldn't upset Tohru. Instead, he took his raging jealousy out on her innocent comforter, strangling it and envisioning the soft cloth as Kyo's neck. Despite the obvious signs of his unusual fury, Tohru was calm, still hugging him.

"Ask me," Tohru ordered softly.

"Truth or dare," he sighed.

"Truth. Ask me who I like most," Tohru added.

"Who do you like most?" Yuki inquired quietly, watching her warily.

"_You, of course. You know that_," Tohru quoted with a wide smile.

"Really?"

Yuki gazed at her with his eyebrows pressed together, checking to see whether she was just trying to comfort him with lies or if she really were telling the truth. She was meeting his eyes, which was a good sign, and with confidence and certainty. He could feel his spirits begin to soar, but he quickly tied them down, wanting to hear her confirmation to cement her words before he got his hopes up to dangerously high levels. Her smile and embrace were making that a difficult task though, especially since he could feel her erratic heart beat in an excited frenzy, racing with his own.

"Yes! I love you more than anyone else in the whole wide world!" Tohru told him.

He grinned at her, "Well I love you more than everyone else in the world put together."

Before she could argue, he captured her lips with his, only breaking apart when her stomach released another loud rumble.

Yuki chuckled, "Right. Dinner time."

**I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, but oh well. School starts tomorrow, so the next chapter will be delayed? This chapter is definitely the 'eye of the storm'. I bet you can't figure out what happens next! :D I was trying to multi-task, so I probably left errors here somewhere. Correct those and review. Pretty please. **


	32. Week 32

Shutting the front door behind him, Yuki slid off his shoes and set them neatly aside. He dropped his heavy backpack quickly, relieved that it was finally Friday. Getting around five hours of sleep every night just wasn't sufficient. There just wasn't enough time in the day to tutor Tohru, finish his homework, help her with hers, spend time with Tohru, and his other necessities, which involved eating, sleeping, and showering. All he wanted to do now was curl up with Tohru and take a long nap, but as soon as he had entered the house, he knew that wasn't going to happen. There was a somewhat chaotic vibe to the atmosphere.

"I'm home," he announced to Tohru and Shigure in a voice he doubted either could hear.

To his shock, Tohru's frantic voice called for him.

"Yuki-kun?" she wailed.

Vehemence coated each of her syllables, twisting her words and sending chills down his spine. He couldn't distinguish the emotions he had caught. It had the vigor of fright and anger but the soft end tone of agony and concern. Her voice stuttered towards the end before she could choke out more. The brief pause was followed quickly by a soft gasp of pain then came a loud crash. Shattering glass and a shriek forced life into his frozen legs, and soon, Yuki was flying up the stairs and tossing the door to Tohru's bedroom open.

The sight made him stumble.

Tohru lay on the ground, collapsed beside a broken glass of water. She pushed herself up weakly. The chaos swirling around in her dark eyes petrified him. He had never seen such a look across her face before. Added to that, her face was wet with beads of sweat and trails of tears. He could tell she had been crying for quite some time by the red rims encircling her swollen eyes. He stared for a second before he rushed to her side and helped her back onto her now damp bed. He patted the wet comforter quizzically, taken aback by the sweet, foreign odor.

"What happened?"

"I-I think my water broke," Tohru choked out, gesturing to her wet bed sheets.

He couldn't even let the information strike him before Tohru bent over, crying from pain again. Her face scrunched up, covering her skin with creases, and she clenched her teeth together tightly. Yuki worriedly pried her clawing fingers away from her abdomen, wrapping his hand around them and letting her squeeze his extremities instead. He could hardly continue to gaze at the agony streaked across her pale face. The anguish exuding off of her made his stomach twist until he could hardly swallow anymore, and he was simply the onlooker. Seconds later, she relaxed, panting coarsely.

"How long?" he questioned.

"I don't know…" she whispered quietly, "Before you left for school… Maybe before I went to bed…"

His eyes widened at her response. How had he not noticed her spasms of pain yesterday? Yuki didn't have time to ponder over it or how early the baby was. Tohru's body convulsed as another contraction rattled her, a fraction of a second longer than the last. The time span between them couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Too soon. He didn't even have time to curse himself for being so negligent. He was supposed to be taking care of her, yet he had left her alone for hours while she was in labor. She should have been at the hospital already. After cradling her through the torture, he raced from the room to the nearest phone. His fingers moved on their own, dialing the all too familiar number. Time ticked by horribly slow between rings before a soft click sounded.

"Hatori!" Yuki exclaimed, not bothering to wait for the doctor to even greet him, "Tohru is in labor!"

Hatori breathed heavily, a little too calmly for Yuki's tastes, "Calm down, Yuki. It's too soon. Are you sure she's not having Braxton Hicks-"

"I'm sure! Her water broke! It's different! She's having the baby!" Yuki snapped.

"I'll be over soon then," Hatori responded.

Yuki hung up half a second later and darted back to Tohru, just in time to offer her his hands as her face twisted. Her breath hitched, and she squeezed his fingers until they started turning blue. He could hardly feel them anymore, losing them to a dull numbness, but he couldn't complain. Not after all that he had read about contractions, and she had been experiencing them all day –and possibly night. When the pain finally passed and she was catching up on her oxygen supply, he reached over to her nightstand and poured her a new cup of water. As soon as she had finished drinking, he rushed out and returned with a cool, damp towel.

Gingerly, he swept the cloth across her forehead, clearing away the droplets of sweat. He barely finished wiping her face and neck before another burst of pain made her lurch forward and curl into a ball. Hesitantly, he ran his fingers through her hair and stroked her back soothingly. Finding that he was able to coax her out of her ball, he let out a sigh of relief. Her small hands slithered around his neck, and soon, he was locked tightly to her body. She was sobbing as she hugged him. Yuki let her squeeze him until he could hardly breathe without uttering a complaint.

Meanwhile, his eyes scanned the room for the suitcase he had packed for her just days ago. Mentally, he tried to recall whether he had finished packing or not. There was lotion, food, toiletries, a camera, and clothing for her, him, and the baby. He had even packed her mother's picture for her. That was a weight off his shoulders, knowing he didn't need to rush around again, but what did that little tidbit matter when he could hardly remain calm. Whatever fraying threads his sanity was clinging onto were going to break soon, but he had to try to cling onto the scraps of his tranquility for Tohru's sake.

After two more contractions, he heard a car pull into the driveway. Slipping his arms under Tohru, he lifted her into his arms, and for once, she didn't dare to protest. She just simply wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest. He walked to the door as quickly as he could without rocking her and somehow managed to grab the suitcase along his way. He could tell by how tense she was that she was experiencing another contraction as he carried her downstairs, but she didn't even let out a whimper.

Hatori had let himself in by the time Yuki got downstairs. He took Tohru from Yuki to let him slip shoes on himself and on Tohru. He then swapped the girl for the suitcase, allowing Yuki to bring Tohru to the backseat of the car. Tohru practically sat on Yuki the entire ride. She was too petrified to speak, not even to greet Hatori. She barely even managed to take a sip from the bottle of water Yuki held out to her. All she could do was stare at both of them with wide eyes that revealed all the terror she didn't dare to reveal out loud.

When they arrived at the hospital, Yuki had to carry her inside and hold her until a nurse got him a wheelchair for her. After Hatori checked in with the front desk, they shoved her into a room in the maternity area. There, after changing into a thin hospital gown, she was helped onto the bed. Various machines were soon attached to her body to monitor her heart rate and her child's. Tohru could recall having things shoved inside of her, but at the moment, she was too distraught to pay much attention to what anyone was doing around her or what they were checking. She heard bits and pieces of sentences and fragments like checking for ruptured membranes and infections, getting cervical and vaginal cultures, but she was hardly aware of any of it. Not even when they were spreading cold gel over her abdomen or when they were pricking her with needles.

Her eyes were locked on one thing only, and that was Yuki's face. She watched his face warp with concern as hers similarly did so out of agony. Tohru couldn't bear to watch fret distort the beautiful pools of gray in his eyes, but looking away just made it worse. It hurt to know she was hurting him. She wanted to send him to another room where he wouldn't have to watch this, but she couldn't bear to lose her support. Tohru doubted she could make it through this torturous ordeal without him. After suffering through another almost minute long contraction, she placed her hand over his cheek, trying to smoothen away the creases in vain. They'd only fade for a moment and return as soon as another contraction came.

"Honda-san," a doctor interrupted her pained thoughts, "your baby is breech. We're going to try and turn her."

"Is she going to be okay?" Tohru choked out weakly.

"Yes, yes. Of course. She'll be fine. It's just that you're quite early so she hasn't had time to turn around yet."

"Is it too early?" Tohru squeaked fretfully.

"According to your records, you've been taking corticosteroids, so both of you should be all right," he informed her with a smile.

Tohru instantly relaxed, but her eyes still held gleams of concern as their hands pressed around her abdomen. She grimaced slightly as her restless daughter tossed a rapid succession of kicks at her. Weren't the contractions enough? Tohru wanted to raise her hands and stop the doctor beside her, wishing to inform him that her baby didn't like this forced movement, but she was too ecstatic over the fact that they were even considering letting her have a normal birth. Yuki had warned her days ago that it would be unlikely with all that had happened, but her hopes hadn't died yet, but she spoke too soon.

"Honda-san, we'll be honest with you. We're not entirely sure we'll be delivering your child vaginally. You have a very petite body as it is. We're not sure it'll go smoothly, and that's without your placental issues," the doctor informed her cautiously.

Her expression dropped instantly. She glanced towards Yuki, finding a mirror of her own misery without even having to look at her reflection in his silvery eyes. He wasn't partial towards a normal birth, but she knew he just wanted her to have her way. Disheartened, she turned back towards the doctor. Now, she could see that they didn't hold much hope in their eyes; any she had seen earlier were mostly figments of her own desire. They were probably sugarcoating those words already. She knew she wasn't in the normal room for labor. The shiny metal table and bright lights overhead clearly indicated to her that they were where cesarean sections were usually performed. Had Yuki requested that they humor her for a while?

"Don't worry. We're completely ready for a C-section if it's necessary," he assured her.

Tohru nodded solemnly, peering at the scalpel on a nearby table. She couldn't even consider the pain of that before a more excruciating one tore her attention away. Wincing through a prolonged contraction, she doubted any pain could be worse than this –with the exception of actual labor and possibly what Yuki's fingers were feeling. She really wasn't sure how she'd ever manage to apologize for that later, especially since he hadn't even voiced a single grievance yet, which meant he was probably thinking and blaming himself for everything, but regardless of what she tried, she couldn't clear the painful empathy gripping his thoughts.

The doctor was staring at her expectantly when she calmed, "Epidural?"

Shaking her head fervently, she shied away from the needle he gestured towards. Natural. She wanted this as natural as possible. She watched curiously as Yuki's fair eyebrows raised and knitted together in confusion. He grazed her cheek gently with the tips of his fingers, trying to tacitly coax her into taking some pain reliever. With the exception of his hands, he wasn't experiencing any pain, yet he was tempted to snatch that needle from the nurse if only it'd relieve the mental distress he felt just from watching her torture herself.

"Are you sure, Tohru?" Yuki asked, "I'm not sure I can even bear watching."

"Stay!" she cried anxiously, afraid he'd leave.

"Of course I will… It's just that… Don't you want a little pain medication? A needle surely will hurt less than what you're going through," Yuki told her, recalling her fear of shots.

Again, Tohru simply shook her head. He sighed, extending his arms out and pulling her against his chest. Tohru flushed, burying her face in his shoulder in attempt to hide from the other two occupants of the room. She was embarrassed, yet she didn't dare to pull herself out of his warm embrace. His arms had a way of sapping her energy and gluing her against his chest. Not to mention, his hugs tended to soothe the burning sensation that scorched her insides after each contraction. Nearly inebriated by his proximity, despite the periodic interruptions of contractions, she had practically forgotten about the doctor until he spoke.

"I'll check on you again later. You're not fully dilated yet," the doctor stated.

Tohru nodded briefly before he left. She mentally kicked the physician in her mind. He had broken their embrace. Frantically, she searched for something else to distract her from labor. Turning her head to the side, she stared at the monitor to her left, taking comfort in the steady beats of her child's heart. She smiled warmly at the fuzzy image the ultrasound provided her with. That small girl she saw in there would be in her arms soon enough, she was sure, and she could hardly wait. The steady beeps of the heart monitor soothed her as she trudged through another contraction. She was waiting in vain to get used to the pain, but it only seemed to intensify with time.

An hour passed, and she was still lying here in pain, suffering through more and more contractions that were growing in length, yet shortening the intervals of peace they granted her. Her cheeks were never dry anymore, and Yuki was just about begging her outright to take some pain medication. Of course, she was stubborn, refusing to relinquish her fear that the scalpel and that the whole surgery could harm her precious child.

It was almost time anyways.

A couple of centimeters left.

Excitement washed through her, yet she was always left with dread. She wanted to see her daughter, but delivery wasn't something she was looking forward to. Tohru squeezed Yuki's hand firmly with more pressure than she had used all day without even experiencing a contraction. His eyes drifted over to her, concern tripling and darkening his usually light gray eyes. She looked down, a bit ashamed to have worried him over nothing, but he tilted her chin up with two fingers, smiling as best as he could for her. Tohru beamed back, truly happy and carefree for a moment.

The next few minutes, however, passed by in a blur to Tohru. One moment, everything was fine and the nurse was smiling at her, but nearly thirty seconds later, the room had been drowned with chaos. The monitors were going crazy with their loud, rapid shrieks, and her daughter was fidgeting harshly, as if she were in pain or fighting to escape. The doctor was back in seconds, and even without him having to say anything, Tohru began to panic. The signs were clear enough in his wide eyes as he briefly examined the ultrasound, monitors, and her abdomen. He muttered something Tohru didn't understand to the nurse nearby and she rushed off before he even spoke to Tohru.

"Your daughter seems to have gotten entangled with the umbilical cord. We're sorry, but we're going to have to start an emergency C-section now," he stated briefly.

Another woman joined them, presenting new equipment as other personal lifted her onto the frigid metal table and began stripping her. Needles flitted around the room just as a mask with a cord was presented to her. Nobody was asking for her opinion anymore. The tip of the needle couldn't have been more than a millimeter from her arm before she protested. The woman froze in the process, but Tohru could guess that she wasn't getting out of this by the way the woman remained hunched over, letting the needle hover dangerously close to her skin. Tohru's heart skipped a beat when she noticed the doctor had picked up the scalpel already and that his face was now obscured with a surgical mask.

"W-Wait!" Tohru squealed nervously.

"I know what you wanted, but that's not going to work out anymore if you wish to keep your daughter alive," the doctor muttered.

Her nervous eyes searched for Yuki. The dark shades of gray and silver didn't help sooth her anxieties much. He didn't seem much calmer than she did, despite the strong façade of certainty he tried to keep on his face. Yuki took a deep breath, managing to calm the both of them a bit as he tried to comfort her. They didn't have a second to spare. He could see that the defense behind her objections was already waning. All he'd have to do was say the right words to nudge her in the right direction. Yuki squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Everything will be all right, Tohru. You'll see. I'm sorry it won't be the way you imagined it would be," Yuki apologized.

"I'm scared…" Tohru whimpered, ignoring the next contraction.

"Don't be. I'll be here with you, and you'll see our beautiful daughter in a few minutes," he murmured to her.

Tohru nodded uneasily, "Okay…"

As soon as the word drifted out, the mask was promptly shoved over her face and the needle was pressed into her arm. Tohru's eyes widened for a second before they began to droop. A cloudy haze almost instantly began crawling across the corners of her sight. She struggled to keep them focused on Yuki's face, but each time she blinked, the harder it got to force her eyelids back open. She could hardly feel the slight pressure from Yuki's hand around hers anymore. Tohru couldn't even feel the cool surface of the table. She wasn't even sure why she was struggling to keep awake any longer.

"Count backwards from ten," the anesthesiologist ordered her patiently.

Tohru blinked before obeying, "Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven… Six…"

Starting to lose conscious, Tohru peered over at Yuki with half open eyes, "Love you, Yuki-kun…."

"I love you too," he whispered back, but he knew she hadn't heard him. Her eyes were already shut, and her head had already tilted slightly to the side.

The doctors were quick to act, lifting her head and shoving a clear tube, which was connected to a nearby respirator, down her throat to help her breathe. The mask had been removed and now an IV was feeding the anesthetic into her bloodstream. The snap of rubber gloves made Yuki's stomach flip as the doctors dressed in surgery wear and made him wear the same papery attire. He almost hopped out of his seat and fled when the scalpel was raised towards Tohru's stomach. He couldn't watch, yet he wouldn't be able to stay away either. Sucking in a deep breath and holding it, he carefully watched as a horizontal incision was made across Tohru's lower abdomen.

Blood began to slide down her raised stomach, but none of the doctors seemed to take notice of the scarlet liquid as more cuts were made, this time through her uterus. Through the red haze, Yuki could see the gloved hands pull back at Tohru's skin and slide out a tiny head, dripping with Tohru's blood. His eyes widened as the tiny little body was lifted out of the womb, but he didn't even get a second to stare in awe before the umbilical cord was snipped, tied, and his daughter was carried away. Switching his gaze back and forth frequently, he watched as the placenta was removed from Tohru, and they began to stitch her up as his baby daughter was getting cleaned.

After suctioning clean her mouth and nose, they wrapped the newborn in a clean blanket. Yuki was ready to take his daughter from them, but they walked away from him instead. He anxiously watched as they placed the tiny being into a box like structure on a stand with four wheels. A switch was hit and the machine made a soft whir. He finally understood what it was. A radiant warmer. He had read about those. Yuki couldn't make much of this information before he turned his attention back to Tohru. He tightened his grip around her hand as the IV bag was switched, trading a clear liquid for a bag of blood. The tube was pulled out of her mouth. Everyone seemed calm, but Yuki couldn't tear his eyes away from the monitors hooked up to Tohru, concentrating on the soft beep that signaled her heartbeat.

"She'll wake up in a couple of hours," the woman beside him informed him.

Yuki nodded, but he wasn't particularly listening to any of her assurances. His focus was concentrated on Tohru and the baby. That was a lot of blood they were clearing off of Tohru. He was sure the doctors noted the concern etched into his face and were probably explaining to him that Tohru would be fine, but he wasn't listening to whatever they had to say. His eyes followed the hospital staff as they hurriedly took his daughter out of the room. He stood up abruptly, extending his arm out to stop the doctors, but the nurse beside him gently shoved him back into his seat.

"Your daughter is having difficulty keeping warm by herself. The incubator was supposed to help, but they're worried. You can tell by how thin she is, and you must have noticed how her skin was almost translucent. She has so little fat now. So we decided to take her to the NICU, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit," the nurse explained.

Yuki peered at her worriedly, "Is she going to be all right?"

"Yes, she should be. This usually isn't a fatal problem," she assured him.

Yuki let out a sigh of relief and turned his attention back to Tohru. He watched as a stretcher was rolled into the room and as Tohru was carefully lifted onto it. Yuki stood and followed the two hospital assistants as they brought Tohru to an empty room down the hallway. She was carefully laid on the white bed as the equipment was arranged around her bedside. Yuki grabbed a nearby chair and sat there beside her bedside, clutching her hands for the next two hours it took until Tohru opened her eyes.

Tohru's eyes slowly opened, fluttering shut and open weakly. Yuki gasped quietly, gazing at her in disbelief. Disoriented, Tohru blinked her eyes, peering around. Letting the fuzzy image before her clear, Tohru tried to organize her incoherent thoughts. The anesthetic had left her mind in a jumbled mess. Shifting her head towards her left, she spotted Yuki, and then everything clicked. She had just had her baby! Her eyes doubled in size as she searched frantically around the room until her eyes settled upon a clock. She froze and stared at the digits. It was late, and her baby was nowhere in sight.

"Where's my baby?" Tohru murmured softly.

Rubbing her eyes and trying to ignore the throb in her stomach and the ache in her throat, Tohru tried to sit up, but Yuki gently pressed her back down and fixed the covers around her. Tohru peered over his shoulder, searching for the whereabouts of her missing child, but she was confronted by a bland wall. She couldn't even hear the faintest lingers of a cry. Quizzically, her eyebrows furrowed as her fingers drifted across her abdomen, checking to see whether she truly had given birth or not. Finding her stomach flat, Tohru began to assume the worse, but before her mind could toss two many gore filled delusions at her, Yuki cut in.

"She's fine…" he assured her, seeming to read her mind.

"Where is she?" Tohru repeated her question firmly, "I want to see her."

"She's um…" Yuki hesitated, not wanting to concern Tohru.

"Is she okay? She's still alive, isn't she?" Tohru squeaked frantically.

"Yes, yes," Yuki reassured her promptly, "She's just in the baby emergency room at the moment."

"Why?" Tohru screeched.

Tohru shot up in her bed, stiffer and more alarmed than she had been four hours ago when he had found her in labor. She almost looked hysterical with those tears brimming in her large eyes. He could tell she was overreacting by the speed of her breaths. In vain, he attempted to calm her down, but no matter what he said, she couldn't be consoled. Promises that she would be fine flew right through her ears, and he might as well have been quoting the nurses and doctors to the walls for the good it did. She refused to believe anything he said.

Before another dark thought could pass through Tohru's head, Yuki interjected, "Would you like to go see her now?"

She silenced, mainly out of shock. It took her a moment to react, but Tohru nodded eagerly, a bit too quickly. She clutched her head as the room began to whirl around. Her cheeks darkened as Yuki pressed her head against his chest and kissed her hair. Suddenly, her head didn't seem to be spinning around as much anymore. Her heart, however, was a complete other matter. She struggled to stand, but flinched when she noticed the wires still hooked up to her body. The nurse who had been standing on the other side of her bed smiled at her as she began to remove the equipment.

"It's just a precaution. We had to make sure your body was doing all right," she explained.

Tohru looked away as the nurse slid out the IV and unattached the wires. She shuddered when she noticed the empty clear bag covered with specks of dark red liquid. Having already been afraid of glancing under her shirt at the scar she had felt earlier, she was definitely not going to be lifting her shirt any time soon. Her scar looked massive enough with the thin cotton hospital gown she was wearing covering it. Speaking of her surgery, she couldn't help remembering that Yuki had been in the room the entire time. He had seen her naked. Completely naked and sprawled across a table like poultry. Her cheeks had never darkened so quickly before, and they darkened to an extent that made both Yuki and the nurse concerned about her.

"Are you feeling okay, Tohru? We can go later if you're not feeling up to it," Yuki suggested.

"I'd advise some walking, but if you're tired, I can get you a wheelchair," the nurse offered.

Tohru declined both of them with a smile and hopped to her feet lightly. Yuki had her arm gripped in his hands as soon as she was on her feet, helping her keep steady. She wished to tell him his help wasn't necessary, but she too was afraid she'd fall over if he let go, so she let him lead and support her out of the room and down the corridor. Glancing around curiously, she watched as mothers whizzed by in their stretchers and as others calmly were walking away with an infant cradled in their arms. Of course, they all stared at her, wondering why she was here. Even the mother about to give birth gawked.

She was young, but it wasn't their business.

For the rest of their short journey, she kept her eyes on the matching hospital bands that had been placed around her and Yuki's wrists. Yuki paused before a door, and if he hadn't been holding onto her, she would have walked straight into the glass, but she didn't even seem to have noticed the danger. Excitedly, she peered through the glass, staring at the single bed in the dimly lit room and the tiny being resting inside of it. She could hardly contain herself enough to wash her hands in the sink by the door before rushing over. The first thing she noticed were the small stickers over the little body and the tape around her fingers.

The woman in the room set down the chart she was holding and walked over to Tohru immediately.

"You're the mother, I suppose," the woman smiled.

Tohru nodded before peering back down at her daughter apprehensively.

"Don't worry. She's going to be just fine. Those are just for us to be able to see how she's doing," the doctor explained.

"Then can I hold her?" Tohru inquired hopefully.

"Of course."

Tohru gingerly reached forward, brushing her fingers against the pale, silky smooth skin for a moment before sliding one of her hands under the infant's back. The puny back was the length of Tohru's thumb to her pinky. The child was so small. Tohru lifted her up carefully, holding her breath as the little being began to stir. Tiny hands that couldn't have been longer than any of her fingers grasped her shirt. Tohru didn't even notice when the woman in the room stepped out to give her privacy or when her arms began to shake. It was only when Yuki's arms slid around hers and she was coaxed into a nearby chair that she realized how weak she felt. She couldn't manage to set the child down though. Her daughter was smiling, and it was too beautiful a sight to tear her eyes from.

"She's gorgeous…" Tohru breathed happily, "Have you ever seen someone so beautiful?"

"Why yes… I actually have…" Yuki grinned, "She looks just like someone I know and love very much."

Tohru peered at him quizzically, missing his unvoiced message until Yuki had pressed his lips to her cheek. He managed to light her face on fire and paint her skin scarlet within seconds, making her turn her head back down to the squirming infant, but that didn't help. He kept his chin propped on her shoulder and his cheek against her warm one, which simply fueled her blush.

"She is quite lovely, isn't she?" Yuki breathed.

She nodded, gasping when tired eyelids fluttered open. Small, light gray eyes darkened with specks of lilac greeted her. They shut within a minute, but Tohru couldn't forget those mesmerizing eyes. They were Yuki's eyes, the most breathtaking eyes she knew. She openly gaped, staring in bewilderment at the tiny face. She glanced up at Yuki quickly, confirming that he had actually seen those eyes before returning to her cooing and staring. Brushing the tips of her fingers against her pudgy cheeks, Tohru managed to bring about another smile from the little cherub. Tohru couldn't help but let out a sigh of contentment as she embraced her smiling angel.

"Emi-chan," Tohru murmured after a moment of consideration.

"Hmm?"

"Emi-chan… I want to name her Emi. Look at her smile… It's stunning," she whispered.

Yuki grinned and pecked her on her still flushed cheek, a gesture Tohru took as his agreement over the name. Tohru giggled, grinning when Emi made a gurgling sound and battered her eyelashes a couple of times happily, other signs Tohru took as a positive reaction. Yuki chuckled softly and stroked the thin, brown fuzz coating Emi's head. Matching eyes locked as Emi gazed back up at Yuki. She stared for a moment before yawning and leaning her head back against Tohru's chest. Tohru cradled the infant carefully, surprised at how quickly she had fallen asleep again.

Watching Tohru with eyes full of admiration, Yuki wrapped his arms around her thin shoulders. Gingerly, he pressed his lips to the top of her head. He only beamed in response when she turned her head towards him with a puzzled expression. He didn't see how anyone could have doubted Tohru's maternal side. She would be perfect. He couldn't help envying her for her natural talent. Yuki could tell that Emi would already be a major contender for Tohru's heart. Even now, the tiny fists still clutched Tohru's shirt.

"You did an amazing job," Yuki smiled.

"Amazing job? I didn't do anything," Tohru murmured in a disappointed voice.

"Are you kidding me? You carried a baby in your womb for eight months! You call that nothing?" Yuki breathed in shock, "Tohru, you carried a beautiful child for almost a year. That deserves some credit."

Tohru didn't respond, only partially believing him and partly too enthralled by her daughter to be able to focus too much on her desire for a natural birth. She wanted to hold her forever, but her trembling arms seemed to disagree with her. Yuki's arms tightened around Tohru keeping her grip around their newly named daughter firm.

"I think it's time for you to rest," Yuki pointed out.

"B-But!" Tohru argued.

"She'll still be here when you wake up," Yuki chuckled when he noticed the terror in Tohru's eyes.

Tohru took one last glance at her slumbering daughter before she reluctantly placed her back into the incubator and tucked her under the miniature blanket. She let Yuki help her back up, leaning against him as he practically carried her back to her room. Her eyes had shut by the time he was laying her on the bed and pulling the thick white covers over her, but before he could retreat, her hand caught hold of his shirt. He froze in his steps and peered back at her questioningly. Tohru propped her eyes open wearily, fighting to stay awake at this point.

"Are you going to stay?" she mumbled tiredly.

"If you want me to," he laughed.

"I do," she admitted shyly, unable to hide the evident blush creeping onto her cheeks.

He smiled, "All right then. I'd be happy to stay."

"Thank you, Yuki-kun," Tohru beamed.

"Glad to be at your service."

He chuckled at the glowing, red tint across her face. Delicately, he brushed his fingers against her cheek, laughing at the warmth it caused before he pressed his lips lightly to her forehead. Tohru lifted her hand to her face embarrassedly, humiliated by the fire burning the patch of skin where his lips had just been. For someone who had needed a blood transfusion hours ago, she still seemed to have a superfluous amount in her face. Flipping onto her side, she tried to bury her face in her pillow to hide her tainted cheeks, but he just watched with amused eyes that further tinted her skin.

"Goodnight, Tohru," he murmured soothingly.

"Goodnight," she replied a bit nervously.

"Don't worry. I'll stay right here until you fall asleep," Yuki assured her, taking her hands into his.

She smiled and gripped his hand tightly. He only had to hold her hand for a minute before her eyes slid shut and she fell asleep. Yuki continued to sit there regardless, for about an hour before he stood up, turned off the bedside lamp and slid into the unoccupied bed he presumed was reserved for him on the other side of the room.

Ten hours later, Tohru awoke to muted shuffling and gentle murmurs. Tiredly, she struggled to force her eyes open. Blinking furiously to get her eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight streaming through the windows in her room, she gazed around quizzically. Her eyes settled upon Yuki, who was seated in the corner of the room with a little bundle resting on his lap. She watched a thin, five inch long arm reach up and tug at his shirt. Tohru grinned as she watched Yuki's lips curve upwards. It was then that he noticed the crinkling of her bed sheets and glanced up. Noticing that she was awake, Yuki stood with a wider smile than before and walked over to her.

Happily, she took the newborn into her arms, giggling when the tiny fist wouldn't release Yuki's shirt. He leaned uncomfortably over her, trying not to be in her way while trying not to be too rough with the one day old. It took him a few minutes to wrestle out of the position and get the small fingers to wrap around his finger instead. When he pulled away, a light flush marred his pale skin as he stood straight up beside Tohru. She laughed, even more delighted when wide lilac gray eyes followed Yuki's movements.

"Hey… Tohru?" Yuki started uneasily.

"Yes?"  
"I umm… I was wondering whether… Um… I mean I wanted to ask you if you'd like to… Would you mind… Would you consider moving in with me?" he blurted out.

"But I already live with you?" she voiced her statement as a question.

"Not like that. I mean without Kyo or Shigure… I know you've been worried that our daughter, Emi, would bother Kyo and Shigure when she cries at night, and I don't exactly want Shigure to come within a ten foot radius of her… So I thought it might be more convenient if we had our own place," Yuki stammered awkwardly.

"I-I wouldn't want you to waste money on a h-house! And you'd have to look for something and move everything, and that's so much work!" Tohru exclaimed as coherently as she could.

"You don't have to worry about that…. I hope it doesn't seem presumptuous of me, but I kind of found a place already and sort of arranged to have things moved there today… But I mean if you'd rather not, I can cancel it all," Yuki added in quickly.

Tohru felt her heart give an unhealthy lurch as her mind replayed his words countless times. It stuttered, nearly stopping before shuddering back to life. Her cheeks darkened to alarming shades of red as her heart raced ahead with loud thumps she was sure the occupant of the room across the hall could hear. She was glad her daughter was seated on her lap; for she was sure she would have dropped her by know if she were standing. Tohru was already shaking more than she had been last night, a signal Yuki took to alert him of her anxiety rather than excitement.

"Tohru…?" Yuki started worriedly, "Are you okay? You can decline if you wish. I won't be upset. Promise."

"No! I-I would like that very much!" Tohru squeaked timidly.

"Really?"

She nodded slightly, her flush deepening by the second. Tohru couldn't even look at him for more than a few seconds before she had to turn away in embarrassment, but that short interval was enough for her to notice how his eyes lit up with joy. It didn't matter that she turned away, for within seconds, she was encircled in his arms and pressed against his chest. Suddenly, it didn't even matter that her abdomen was throbbing or that the butterflies in her stomach were starting to make her queasy or that he could probably feel the erratic beats of her heart right now. All that mattered was that he was hugging her, but it really should have been illegal to still smell this good after spending the night in a place that reeked of sterilizer and medicine.

"Are you sure?" he murmured.

"Yes!" Tohru exclaimed happily.

A grin spread across his face as he planted a kiss on top of her head. He laughed when the small bundle on Tohru's lap squeaked and reached for him again. Yuki bent over and pressed his lips gently to the top of the child's head too. Emi waved her hands around cheerfully, unintentionally slapping Yuki in the face with her flailing. He retreated with his nose enclosed in his hands but chuckled lightly to keep Tohru from fretting unnecessarily. She had to check his nose anyways before worrying over Emi as she remembered the room Emi had been in last night.

"Is it okay for her to be here?" Tohru asked.

"Of course. She wouldn't be here if she weren't. The doctor said she's doing really well actually, and she's probably going to be able to leave before you," Yuki assured her.

"When do I get to leave?" Tohru asked.

"A few days," Yuki responded promptly.

"Why? That's a lot of money," Tohru stated worriedly.

"Tohru, you just gave birth and had surgery. Of course they're going to want to keep you here a bit longer. Don't you dare worry about money. You're not allowed to think about the bill, okay? Just focus on getting better, please," Yuki requested.

"B-But!" Tohru tried to protest but Yuki's finger on her lips silenced her.

"Your health and wellbeing are much more important than money. That's final."

Tohru's arguments were silenced when the door opened and her friends rushed in excitedly. She jumped up slightly in disbelief as she stared at her two friends. Uo practically darted over, gazing at the infant with wide eyes while Hana calmly strode over after shutting the door. Tohru lowered the bundle gently, proudly showing them her daughter while Emi blinked in confusion at the two new people she had never seen before. She silenced down and began to squirm as two new pairs of hands fondled every inch of her skin that wasn't covered by the blanket.

"Adorable. Plain adorable…." Uo crooned as she stroked the top of Emi's head.

"Yes… What did you expect?" Hana calmly asked.

"In a couple of years, guys are gonna be all over her," Uo snickered to herself.

Tohru's eyes widened at that as she clutched her daughter closer to her.

"Perhaps she'll go to an all girls' school," Yuki mused thoughtfully.

Uo rolled her eyes before holding her arms out to Tohru to hold the baby, but Hana had already taken the bundle from Tohru. Uo grimaced momentarily before leaning over and gazing at the child with a warm smile. Emi peered at Hana for a few seconds before her faint eyebrows furrowed, and she reached back to Tohru, about to wail. Uo snickered as she slid the child out of Hana's arms, comforting the infant gently in a very uncharacteristic manner. The wrinkles on Emi's face smoothened away, but her frail arms were still extended in Tohru's direction just as her eyes never seemed to move away from Tohru's face.

"She looks just like you, Tohru," Uo commented, following Emi's gaze towards Tohru.

"Really? Yuki-kun thinks so too, but I think Emi-chan looks more like Yuki-kun," Tohru murmured.

"Emi-chan, eh? Well, whatever. She's just pretty. Like a little angel," Uo concluded.

Tohru smiled and nodded, agreeing easily. Uo and Hana took turns holding the newborn for a few minutes before they returned her to her mother, who seemed anxious to hold her again. Emi seemed just as relieved to be back in her mother's arms, immediately latching her tiny hands onto Tohru's fingers. Tohru grinned, cuddling her daughter as Emi began to close her eyes and drift back to sleep again. It wasn't long, however, before the door swung open again, and Shigure and Ayame came in, awaking the previously slumbering baby.

"Alas! The long awaited uncle has arrived to lay his eyes upon his newly arrived niece, the daughter of the brother he adores so much. Fear not little brother, my presence is finally here. I would have come running had Gure taken less time getting ready. I would have flown here with my wings of love as soon as I got your call! Forgive me, dearest brother," Ayame babbled dramatically.

"I. Never. Called. You. Get out," Yuki groaned.

Ayame ignored him as he swept the baby out of Tohru's arms, only to have her snatched away five seconds later by Yuki. Yuki returned the whimpering child back to Tohru before the bawling could begin. Ayame gazed on with an almost offended expression with his mouth wide open. He gave a short humph and walked over to Tohru to get a view of the child before Yuki found something to shove in his gaping mouth. Shigure also made his way over with waltz like movements before pausing by Tohru as far away as he could be from Yuki and that lamp he was now clutching like a club.

"Is it breastfeeding time?" Shigure sang gleefully.

"In your dreams. If it were, you'd be tied to a tree five miles from here," Yuki grumbled.

"It's always breastfeeding time in my dreams," Shigure chuckled lewdly.

"Drop dead, Shigure. Die before I murder you and use your corpse as fertilizer," Yuki growled.

Shigure smiled slyly, but he didn't get in another comment before a tan fist landed on his head. Kyo sauntered in with a scowl as Shigure whimpered and cowered by the door. The orange haired teenager strolled over with the best indifferent face he could muster up as he scrutinized the tiny being grasping Tohru's hair. Keeping his eyes focused on Emi's chubby face, Kyo tried to ignore Yuki, who was perched on the corner of Tohru's bed, to no avail. The child looked just like his silver haired nemesis, and it didn't help that Ayame was standing in front of him either. Glancing up at Tohru's expectant face, Kyo rummaged through his head for some kind comment he could make.

"She's so puny…" Kyo finally muttered.

"Of course! She's a baby, Kyo-kun," Tohru giggled.

Kyo shifted awkwardly with a curt nod, averting his gaze from the baby.

"Would you like to hold her?" Tohru offered.

Kyo blinked in astonishment, shifting his gaze from Emi back to Tohru in disbelief. Unable to decline her offer as she peered at him so buoyantly, Kyo awkwardly held his arms out for the child. Tohru laughed lightly as she laid Emi in his arms and fixed how they were positioned. Stiffly, he held the child, seeming to have a staring contest with her. At this Uo couldn't help but taunt him, embarrassing him enough that he promptly returned Emi to Tohru and stalked out of the room, fighting every urge to yell. For the next hour, Emi was rotated around the family until Yuki interrupted.

"I've got to get her back to the NICU before that lady lectures me again," Yuki grumbled.

"If you can't put up with her bickering for a few minutes, I have no idea what you're going to do when you're married. We want to spend more time with this cutie pie," Uo protested, stroking Emi's arm happily.

"You want to listen to an hour long lecture about abstinence and different forms of contraception from a nurse that has to be around six hundred and two?" Yuki asked, "Besides, Emi is trying to sleep, and you guys keep waking her up. She's about two seconds away from wailing."

As if on cue, screeching erupted from the tiny being. Tohru gasped while everyone else stared at the infant, seemingly shocked that such a small baby could produce such cacophony. Haru, who was currently holding her at the moment, plopped her into Yuki's arms and gave him a light pat on the back. Yuki rolled his eyes before standing and leaving, trying to soothe the girl to no avail. Tohru gazed after him worriedly, wanting to comfort her daughter but at the same time wanting to keep her here longer. She wasn't ready to part with her yet, but Uo distracted her soon enough.

"So what were you all blushy blushy about when we came in, Tohru? Huh?" Uo asked with a mischievous grin.

"W-What?" Tohru squeaked.

"Oh you know… What were you guys talking about, huh?" Uo pressed curiously.

"I bet I know! Yuki is more like me than he's willing to admit, eh, Tohru-chan?" Shigure chuckled.

"No! I-It's not like that!" Tohru exclaimed embarrassedly, "Yuki-kun just wanted to know if I wanted to move in with him!"

Everyone in the room froze and faced her with wide eyes and open mouths, making Tohru's blush deepen. Tohru shut her mouth abruptly, sinking back into her pillows in attempt to disappear. They all were gawking at her strangely before gazing at each other to make sure that they had all actually heard that. Timidly, she tugged the blanket to her chin and averted their eyes. Nobody felt the need to question Tohru about her response. Her blush made her answer obvious. Though Uo already had a lecture in store for Yuki, she embraced Tohru tightly with a wide grin.

"My little brother is all grown up! How time passes before these old eyes of mine!" Ayame cried.

"Yuki _is_ more like me than I've ever imagined!" Shigure sang with a laugh.

"Damn rat… Where'd he go? I gotta go wring his neck now!" Kyo roared, stepping back into the room angrily.

"No, no, no! Not like that!" Tohru denied and tried to clarify the situation in vain, "I don't want Emi's cries to bother Kyo-kun or Shigure-san!"

Nobody bothered to listen to her protests though. Flustered, Tohru waved her arms around, still trying to deny what everyone was clearly thinking, but hardly anyone even seemed to notice. Hana was quietly forming plans to drop in unexpectedly every few days, Ayame was loudly telling everyone his vision for how the house would look inside as well his idea to make Tohru a new outfit, an idea Shigure took a liking too. Tohru was already tempted to flee the room and find Yuki, but Shigure had already taken her hands into his with a fatherly, yet extremely perverted, expression across his face.

"Tohru-chan, you mustn't forget to use protection," Shigure advised seriously.

"Shigure-san, you're completely right!" Tohru agreed with a shocked expression

Shigure's face twisted with shock, all traces of teasing now replaced by bewilderment.

"I forgot that we have to baby-proof the house! Oh no!" Tohru exclaimed, oblivious of what Shigure really was trying to say.

Tohru cocked her head to the side in a confused manner as everyone else's head dropped. Their desire to tease the couple had all but vanished by the time a very puzzled Yuki walked into the room. He glanced at all the disheartened occupants of the room before locking eyes with Tohru, but she had no explanation other than a shrug and a worried expression to offer him.

"I don't want to get pushed out on a wheelchair!" Tohru cried, eyeing the wheelchair Yuki was standing behind with disdain.  
"It's the rule, Tohru. Come on, please?" Yuki begged.

"I want to walk!" Tohru exclaimed.

"You can walk once we get out of the hospital," Yuki promised.

Tohru shifted on the edge of the hospital bed uncomfortably, chewing on the bottom of her lip apprehensively. She scrutinized the wheelchair with disdain. They'd get enough attention as it was with the baby and their youth.

"Tohru, it's going to take five minutes to get out of here. Please… Before I carry you out," Yuki warned.

She gasped and hopped on immediately, holding Emi carefully against her chest as she eyed Yuki with a small pout to her lip. Yuki shook his head with a laugh as he began to push her out of the room, lugging behind him all the gifts everyone had presented to Tohru and Emi. He had at least five bags in his right hand, a dozen balloons tied to his left, and a couple of life-sized stuffed animals tucked under his arms. And Tohru was worried the wheelchair would draw people's attention. It took five minutes of struggling to get everything into the puny elevator, and even then, two of the light pink colored balloons popped. Yuki sighed, trying his best to ignore the little boy and his grandmother who were peering at him and Tohru strangely.

As soon as the bell rung, signaling their arrival to the main floor of the hospital, Yuki nearly darted out, knowing Tohru was just as uncomfortable as he was, if not more so. They were out of the hospital within seconds and seated in the backseat of Hatori's car in another minute with Emi strapped to the baby seat in between them.

Tohru stared out the window the entire car ride, eager to see their new home. The journey didn't take more than a few minutes, and after passing Shigure's house, they soon arrived at an old fashioned two story house designed similarly to Shigure's. Tohru nearly leapt out of the car after she had unbuckled Emi. Yuki chuckled, pleased with her excitement as he slid out and thanked Hatori for the ride.

He grinned as he walked at a pace that seemed torturously slow for Tohru. Yuki almost seemed nervous as he caught up with her and unlocked the door. As soon as the door was open, she bolted in and was exploring before he had even set down the bags he was holding. Yuki chuckled, watching her run through the house quicker than he had ever seen her move before. She was in and out of her room, his room, the kitchen, living room, the dining room, and both of the bathrooms before he had moved more than a foot from the door. She finally stopped inside of the nursery, standing at the doorway with a content smile across her face.

Yuki approached her curiously, following her gaze and finding her eyes locked on the light silver colored stuffed mouse that sat inside of the crib he had made for her with the mobile from Rin hanging overhead. The furniture was all a matching white with pale pink flowers engraved around the edges, and everything sat on a round pink rug.

Nothing could have been more perfect, except for maybe the picture frames aligning the walls, all of them waiting to be filled with the camera sitting on top of the dresser. Placing Emi into Yuki's arms, Tohru picked up the camera with a giggle and snapped a photo before Yuki could react. Sure, he wasn't smiling, and he probably was blinking when she had taken the picture, but she had already decided that that would be the first picture that would adorn the wall. Yuki, on the other hand, had other ideas and wrestled the camera from her, stealing ten pictures of her and Emi before she could even say his name.

They'd definitely need to buy more picture frames.…


	33. Week 92 : Epilogue

Tohru laughed, shielding her eyes with both of her hands as another round of the never ending water fight she was having with her daughter began. She grinned as she blindly reached forward with the light pink wash cloth, trying, but failing, to give Emi her bath. Tohru shook her head when the towel was snatched out of her hand and tossed onto her lap. As much as she loved seeing her daughter this happy, Tohru had to stop the splashing before there was more water on the floor than in the tub. Tohru firmly grasped her daughter's chubby wrists in one hand and washed the suds out of Emi's short, brown locks with the other.

Emi fidgeted as the water was poured over her head, and Tohru almost stopped when a frown broke out on Emi's tiny face, but there was no time to spare. Hearing the front door shut, Tohru realized that she had even less time than she had thought. Yuki was home already. They'd have to leave in an hour if they wanted to get to school on time, and she hadn't even changed her clothes or brushed her hair yet. Tohru grimaced as tears began to sprout from Emi's eyes as she cleared the last of the soap off her daughter. Bath time was officially over, but before Tohru could pick Emi up and wrap her in a warm towel, the ajar door was shoved open.

Tohru shook her head with a faint smile when she noticed the camcorder glued to Yuki's face. He had grown too fond of the device this past year, filming every little thing their daughter did. Not a moment of Emi's life went un-filmed, and each recording was saved, cherished in the form of shiny DVD's stacked in a perfect pile in the corner of Emi's room. Those discs were the treasures of Tohru's two favorite people. They were Yuki's memories and Emi's precious, glimmering frisbees. Emi giggled as Yuki waved to her. In response, she flailed her arms around, attempting to mimic Yuki's one handed gesture with both of hers.

"You're not ready?" Yuki asked in an amused voice.

"Ah! No! Sorry! I'll get ready after I dress Emi," Tohru promised.

Hearing her name, Emi squeaked happily and hit her hands against the water again, sending a spray of water over the already drenched bathroom. Her laugh rang out, echoing in the small room as she shifted away when Tohru made a move to remove her from the tub. Emi climbed to her feet unsteadily but soon slipped back down onto her bottom, sending Tohru into a panic as she sat there blankly. The unfazed grin that quickly spread across Emi's face dispersed most of Tohru's fret. Her jubilant song continued as she clasped Tohru's hands in hers.

"Mama!" Emi chirped.

Disgruntled, Yuki sighed, "She really won't say _daddy_,_ papa, _or_ dada, _will she?"

"That's not true!" Tohru exclaimed, "She was asking for you all day today!"

Yuki eyed Tohru skeptically, lowering the eyepiece of the video recorder from his face. His gaze shifted over to Emi, who was staring at him innocently. Almost shyly, Emi turned away after a minute, embarrassedly pressing Tohru's hand to her face in attempt to hide herself from his penetrating eyes. Releasing her hold on Tohru's hand, Emi let it drop and peeked up at Yuki. After a mere second, she was masking herself with Tohru's fingers again, playing a backwards game of peek-a-boo, completely oblivious of Yuki and Tohru's conversation.

"Really!" Tohru insisted, "Emi, what did you say today?"

"Ma-ma?" Emi repeated, pausing her game and tilting her head to the side quizzically.

"No, no! Who's this?" Tohru asked, gesturing towards Yuki.

"Da-da!" Emi squealed as she whacked her hands against the soapy water for the third time.

Yuki's eyes lit up, and the camcorder was raised again.

"She really said it… Emi, say it again for daddy, please," Yuki pled, grinning when she obeyed.

"Film later, Yuki-kun. We're going to be late! Emi needs to get dressed, and so do we. Your clothes are on the bed," Tohru told him.

Yuki nodded half heartedly, not taking his eyes off of their giggling daughter until Tohru had lifted her out of the tub and wrapped her in the towel she had set out. Tohru stood with the little infant, who was struggling to get back into the water, and walked out of the bathroom, leaving the mess for later. Yuki followed Tohru into the nursery where Emi's clothes had been laid out neatly on the floor. The bath was soon forgotten as Emi was placed on her feet and the towel she was once wrapped in was now running across every inch of her wet flesh and damp, brown locks.

"Yuki-kun, you have to delete that later," Tohru commented as she struggled to keep Emi from fleeing.

"Why? She finally said _dada_."

"Yes, but she's going to be furious when she's older and finds out you have a video of her taking a bath," Tohru laughed.

"And she'll find out on her eighteenth birthday when I decide to show a bunch of random videos I have," Yuki smirked mischievously.

"Go get changed, please," Tohru pled, fighting back a smile.

Tohru took the video recorder from him and set it on the dresser after laying Emi down on the floor. Yuki knelt down in front Emi momentarily and touched her tiny fist before obeying Tohru and leaving to find his clothes. Tohru sat down, quickly slipping a clean diaper on Emi before pulling on her lilac dress that matched Emi's eyes. Tohru smiled at the sight, smoothening the bodice as she pulled white stockings over tiny legs and black shoes onto tiny feet. Afterwards, Tohru quickly combed the damp tresses and stuck a white bow on top of her head.

"Come, Emi. Let's go help mommy change," Tohru smiled, taking her daughter's hand.

Emi wobbled after her mother as Tohru led them into her and Yuki's bedroom, where Yuki currently stood before a mirror, fighting to get his tie on as neatly as he could. Frustrated at the lopsided accessory, Yuki rashly undid it, leaving it hanging on his arm just as they entered.

"How about you go help Daddy with his tie?" Tohru suggested to Emi after releasing her fingers.

Although only understanding a handful of the words, Emi obediently stumbled over to Yuki and clung to his pants, distracting him more than helping as she tugged the blue, silky accessory from him and rushed away, giggling madly as he chased after her and swept her up into the air. Tohru couldn't help pausing as Yuki hugged Emi, kissed her chubby cheek, and stole the tie back when Emi wasn't looking. Emi's fingers tightened around the soft fabric before the end slid through her fingers. Her grin vanished, and she stuck her bottom lip out in a pout as she yanked back on the tie, but as soon as Yuki surrendered the tie and released his end, Emi dropped it with a mischievous laugh, making Yuki sigh as he bent over to pick it up.

With a smile, Tohru hurriedly grabbed the pink and white dress Yuki had given to her over a year ago and trotted off to the bathroom to change. She slipped out of her t-shirt and sweatpants. Holding her breath, she yanked on the gown as quickly as she could and let out a sigh of relief when it slid on smoothly. Tohru had anxiously been waiting this past year in hopes that she'd lose all the weight she had put on during her pregnancy so she'd be able to wear Yuki's gift. Glancing at her reflection, she noticed her disastrous hair. Tohru rapidly combed through her tangled locks and braided her dark hair neatly. Finally, she tied matching ribbons to her hair before exciting hastily.

"Mama!" Emi cried as soon as Tohru came out and rushed over to her.

Emi stopped at Tohru's feet and extended her tiny fist toward Tohru.

"What is it, sweetie?" Tohru asked gently.

Instead of replying with the couple of words she knew, Emi uncurled her tiny fingers and revealed a sparkling ring in the palm of her hand. Emi peered at Tohru for a moment, watching Tohru's jaw drop, before her gray eyes drifted back to the adornment in her palm. Tohru gasped, hesitantly taking the ring from Emi. It was a silver band with an array of diamonds on the top. There was a large diamond in the center, and at least ten smaller ones that surrounded it in a floral design. Her eyes hopefully shot towards Yuki, her boyfriend of a year and a half, but he was currently focusing diligently on redoing his tie.

"Where did you get this?" Tohru inquired curiously.

Emi didn't respond, taking the ring back from Tohru and sticking it in her mouth instead. Her thin eyebrows furrowed at the metallic taste, not quite sure whether it was a good taste or a bad one. Tohru dropped to her knees in a panic. Eyeing her daughter cautiously, she tried to keep Emi from swallowing the ring.

"Don't eat it, Emi-chan! We have to find who this belongs to! This is someone's ring! And she's probably looking for it!" Tohru squealed.

Hurriedly, Tohru cupped her hand under Emi's mouth, but Emi turned her face away. When Tohru caught Emi's face with her free hand, Emi pursed her lips together, but obediently spit the jewelry out. Tohru held the drooled on gem in her hand frantically. Partly relieved that Emi hadn't choked on it, Tohru hugged her momentarily before focusing back on the ring with a gamut of emotions. Even in her frenzy, Tohru had to take note that the ring was unbelievably gorgeous, and it looked like it would fit her slender finger perfectly. She buried her hopes immediately, though, since her boyfriend still hadn't seemed to realize what was going on.

"Oh no! How are we supposed to find out whose this is?" Tohru squabbled.

Too distraught, Tohru didn't notice when Yuki groaned and smacked his head against the wall. She didn't even see that he had given up on his tie and had tossed it aside until he had clasped his hands around hers. Tohru jumped, blinking at him in confusion. She flinched before glancing down at her palm, relieved she hadn't tossed the ring across the room in shock. Noting his irked expression, Tohru peered up at him in confusion, not understanding why he was so annoyed -unless the ring was for her. Unintentionally, she let her hopes rise again.

"It's _yours_," Yuki firmly told her.

"No, no it's not! I-I've never seen this before!" Tohru squeaked, misunderstanding his words.

"That's because you just got it," Yuki explained uneasily.

He gazed at her expectantly, waiting for some emotion to cross her face, but all he received were waves of shock. Yuki was positive that her eyes couldn't get much wider than they were right now. After staring at him in bewilderment, Tohru glanced down at the ring and then resumed gazing at his face. Her jaw dropped as she unsuccessfully tried to speak. After a minute of pointlessly gaping and shutting her mouth, she nervously took a shallow breath. Worriedly, Yuki touched her shoulder, only to have her almost fall over.

"W-What?" she gasped finally.

"Tohru, I've been in love with you for a couple of years now, and each day that passes, the more I can't imagine spending my life apart from you. I want us to be together for the rest of our lives. I love you, Tohru Honda. Will you marry me, Honda-san?" Yuki breathed delicately.

Tohru gawked at him blankly, too stupefied to respond. Her heart fluttered, tossing itself against her ribcage as her eyebrows struggled to reach her hairline. With her heart beating loudly enough for their nearest neighbor, Shigure, who lived at least a mile away, to hear, Tohru kept her eyes on everything in the room but Yuki and the ring he had taken from her palm. That proved impossible, however, when he tipped her chin upward with his forefinger, forcing her to meet his eyes and still demanding some response other than the surprise she was displaying.

"W-Was that why you were gone earlier? You w-were getting a r-ring?" Tohru stammered, blatantly avoiding his question.

He nodded.

"Y-You want to marry me?" Tohru questioned feebly.

Again, he nodded, still waiting for a response, but Tohru was silent.

"And…?" he pressed.

"And?" she repeated, confused.

"Are you going to accept my proposal and slobbered on ring?" Yuki asked uncertainly now.

"Y-Yes!" Tohru nodded incredulously.

She couldn't even blink before the widest grin she had ever seen rippled across his face, and the ring was slid onto her left ring finger. She was only able to gaze at it for a mere second before she was swept off her feet and ensnared in a tight embrace. He swung her around jubilantly before he pressed his lips to hers. She gasped as his fingers wove themselves into her long tresses, and she was held lovingly against him. Her blush deepened as the kiss did, and even more so when Emi reminded them of her presence with a couple of loud squeaks. Tohru flushed bright red as she was set back on the ground. Yuki chuckled when he glanced at Emi and noticed her arms were extended upwards, indicating her desire to be carried as well. He grinned and gently laid her on his shoulder.

"Come, Emi, let's let mommy finish getting ready," Yuki murmured as he walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down with her.

Tohru peered up at him shyly, only daring to look at him for a brief moment before she focused her eyes on her jewelry. She didn't notice, but Yuki's smile just broadened as she stared at the ring now adorning her slender extremity. She looked away before Yuki could notice her gawking and slipped on the silver necklace Yuki had given her on White Day. She fingered the heart shaped charm for a moment before walking towards Yuki, averting her eyes the entire journey. She couldn't meet his gaze, could hardly even speak in fear that she'd disturb this perfect moment and awake from what she was convinced was a dream.

"We're going to be late," she mumbled meekly.

"Don't worry. You know nothing can start until all the teachers and everyone else for that matter fuss over Emi for a good ten minutes," Yuki pointed out.

Tohru nodded with a faint smile as Yuki stood. He hesitantly brushed the back of his hand against her palm before grasping it and giving it a comforting squeeze. Tohru dared to meet his glistening, gray eyes for a brief moment before hurrying out of the room, dragging him behind her. Emi looked at both of her parents curiously, not quite getting what was going on. She thrust her tiny finger forward, poking Tohru's flushed cheek with a grin. Emi laughed as the shade of pink darkened. Tohru's varying skin color and the sparkling gem held her attention until they neared the end of the hallway.

"Mou!" Emi exclaimed frantically as they passed her bedroom.

Emi's arms were extended as far as they could be towards her room, and she refused to stop squeaking until they turned around. Yuki laughed, but entered her room to retrieve her mouse plush she had recently named three weeks prior. Emi hugged the stuffed animal tightly and immediately began chewing on the fraying ears.

"Poor mouse," Yuki chuckled.

"She's teething," Tohru murmured.

She held out Emi's teething ring to her, but Emi promptly turned her head away and continued chewing on the stuffed ear. Tohru sighed and dropped the ring into the baby bag, watching her daughter diligently tug at the mouse's ear with her newly forming teeth. Clearly amused by this, Yuki shook his head, supporting Emi with one arm as he took Tohru's hand with his free one. Tohru let him lead her downstairs, staring at the most jubilant expression she had ever seen across his face. Her face soon mirrored his, but hers was tainted with a touch of doubt.

"You really want to marry me?" Tohru asked uneasily.

"Of course… I love you. Don't you want to marry me?" Yuki inquired almost uneasily.

Tohru nodded, tears welling up in her large brown eyes, "I love you too… So much."

Emi squirmed and cried, "Lub oooh, mama!"

Tohru froze on the stairs and stared at her beaming daughter. Emi giggled, burying her face against Yuki's shirt shyly. The widest smile crawled across Tohru's face as she gazed upon her daughter joyfully. Yuki glanced back at Tohru with a happy yet almost envious look. Pausing on the step, he stroked Emi's back, getting the small child to lift her head and peer back at Tohru timidly. Tohru hopped down the two steps to Yuki and tossed her arms around her daughter and new fiancé. The tears spilled, unable to be restrained as Emi cheerfully repeated her newly learned phrase.

"I love you too, Emi-chan," Tohru crooned.

Emi giggled, wrapping her hands around Tohru's hair. Tohru laughed, offering Emi her hand instead. Emi willingly clutched Tohru's hand as they continued their journey to the school. By the door, Yuki grabbed Emi's thin jacket just in case before he tossed two dark blue graduation gowns over his shoulder. Tohru gently placed the two matching caps into her bag before locking her free hand with Yuki's. He led her outside as they began the ten minute journey to the school with all their hands interlocked.

All attention immediately flew towards Yuki and Tohru as they walked into the crowded school. Emi was dutifully chewing on Yuki's shoulder, giving her stuffed toy a break, and clinging to him tightly. All the girls lingering about the lobby of the school stared at the one year old in Yuki's arms. They couldn't help admiring the beautiful child as she glanced at them, but they had to envy her indifferent attitude with her father. She was not only hugging the most gorgeous and coveted guy at school, but she was biting him, and he didn't even seem to mind. Emi rested her head by Yuki's neck and wrapped her fingers around Yuki's tie, beginning to fidget as everyone began to approach her and lay their hands all over her.

She squirmed and whimpered, reaching for Tohru uncomfortably as the crowd behind her began to thicken. Her situation in Tohru's arms wasn't much better, for Uo, Hana, and all the Sohmas were just as bad as the rest of the school combined. Finally, Emi got Tohru to put her on the ground, and Emi immediately ducked under the graduation gown Tohru had just put on. Trying in vain to coax her daughter into coming out, Tohru laid her hand on the back of Emi's head as Emi locked her arms around Tohru's legs.

"Emi-chan, look! Momiji-kun and Akira-kun are here to play with you!" Tohru exclaimed, watching Akira run ahead of Shigure and Akito towards them.

They seemed to be racing over. Momiji easily won as he skidded to a stop and embraced Tohru, crying out, "Tohruuuuu! Yukiru-chan!"

Emi, however, only lifted Tohru's gown to peek out for a moment, vaguely recognizing Momiji's nickname for her, before hiding again. Akira just laughed as he continued over and joined Emi under Tohru's graduation gown, clinging to Tohru's other leg. Tohru looked down in humiliation, staring at the hidden heads of two toddlers latched to her. Afraid to move and hurt them, she peered over at Yuki desperately. Yuki chuckled as he bent over, wrapped an arm around both of the leg huggers, and yanked them out. Yuki took one look at Momiji before he too was pried off of Tohru. Emi wriggled around, struggling to return for a minute before she gave up and climbed back into Yuki's arms while Akira stood there with his arms folded across his chest and a scowl on his face.

Patting Akira on the head, Yuki chuckled, "You take after your father too much."

"You say that as if it were a bad thing," Shigure commented, running his fingers across his chin.

"It is," Yuki muttered as he stood.

He ignored Shigure's crying as he swiftly stepped two paces to the left before Ayame could run by and snatch Emi from him. Yuki had let Ayame babysit once and refused to do so ever again. He hadn't let Ayame hold Emi or come in much contact with her since that incident five months ago when Emi had spent a couple of hours at Ayame's shop and was returned in a mini maid's outfit. Glancing over at the rest of the members of his family, Yuki shook his head at them and placed Emi into Hatori's waiting arms, only trusting the doctor with his daughter. Emi refused to let go of Yuki though, leaning towards him from Hatori's grip and holding onto his shirt tightly. Tohru stroked Emi's hair, fixing a clip before kissing her head.

"Emi-chan, be good for Hatori-san, okay? Mama will see you in two hours," Tohru murmured.

Emi's face twisted with sadness as Yuki began to lead Tohru towards the auditorium where the rest of the students were heading. Tohru followed along reluctantly, trying her best not to pay attention to the soft whimpering she could hear behind her. Worriedly, she took her rightful seat in the middle of the reserved seats for the graduates, watching Yuki head off to his seat three rows behind her with forlorn eyes. Once he was seated, she located Emi standing on Hatori's lap five rows behind her. Her daughter seemed to be crying.

Trying to keep her face clear of the tears staining Emi's, Tohru fought to focus on the ceremony that had just begun. She stared at her principal, trying to listen to what he was saying, but all she could hear were Emi's muffled cries. Glancing back at Yuki, she found a similar frown across his face, but when he noticed her gazing at him, he pointed back towards the stage. Tohru uneasily turned around and watched as a procession of students wearing similar gowns started for the stage for their diplomas. She couldn't really notice much until she finally heard Emi's cries die down.

By then, however, it was practically time for her to go up. Tohru stood up with her row and made her way towards the steps, carefully eyeing her path to make sure she didn't trip in her new high heels. She let out a sigh of relief when she made it past the stairs and was walking across the stage to get her diploma. Tohru's cheeks instantly flushed at the applause she received, even if it was mainly from the Sohmas. She could hear booing from a few of the Yuki Fan Club members, but that didn't compare to the cheering of her loved ones.

After she had taken the rolled up piece of paper and had shaken the principal's hand, she made her way down the steps.

As soon as the commotion had died down, Emi shouted, "Mama!"

Embarrassedly, Tohru gasped and nearly tripped down the stairs. If Emi's burst out hadn't made the crowd erupt in laughter, her near trip surely did. With scarlet cheeks, she hurriedly shuffled back to her seat and hid behind her hands. Tohru only lowered her makeshift mask when Uo, Hana, Yuki, and Kyo went up to fetch their diplomas. By the time Yuki had returned to his seat, the ceremony was practically over, and Tohru was already sitting on the edge of her seat . She could barely listen to the speeches, peeking back at Emi, who seemed to be frowning.

As soon as they were dismissed and the graduation caps had been tossed, Tohru was out of her seat, racing for the exit, followed closely by Yuki.

Yuki and Tohru squeezed out of the crowded doors, hands linked as they searched for their family members. The first thing they noticed was little Emi dashing over to every person wearing the graduation gown she had seen on Tohru, tugging on their gowns, and darting off when she realized they weren't Tohru. Emi trudged on with her thin eyebrows furrowed as she searched for her mother amongst the sea of dark blue.

"Mama?" she sniffled, starting to cry.

As soon as Emi spotted Tohru, her eyes lit up, and Emi excitedly bolted over to Tohru, rushing into her open arms. Squeaking ecstatically, Emi locked her fists around the top of Tohru's dress, tugging on the elastic and unintentionally yanking down the top half of Tohru's dress. Tohru gasped, pulling her dress back up, but the deed had been done, and everyone in the hallway was now frozen and staring at her chest, still envisioning the lacy, pink undergarment Emi had just revealed. Flushing furiously, Tohru averted all eyes that were focused on her, even Emi's until Emi began squealing and grasping Tohru's dress again.

Tohru lifted her daughter up timidly, hiding behind her tiny body.

Meanwhile, Yuki counted to three in his head, giving his classmates –and teachers- a few seconds to look away before he gouged out their eyes for gawking at Tohru's body. Returning his gaze to everyone, he nearly growled when he noticed nothing had changed. He helped Tohru up and stood in front of her protectively, cutting between the victim and the gawkers. Fighting to restrain every urge to slit various throats with the diploma he was now viciously clenching in his fist, Yuki didn't even notice when Shigure came into sight until he made an announcement that focused all of Yuki's rage on him.

"Oh no! I missed Tohru-kun's peep show!" Shigure cried as he raced over.

"Keep your eyes off _my fiancée_," Yuki seethed.

Tohru's already scarlet cheeks darkened further as all eyes drifted over to the gem adorning her left ring finger. She swallowed nervously as several of the female gazes filled with malice and envy. Tohru slid her other hand over the band, trying to conceal it, but the jewelry was already branded into the mind of her classmates. She didn't even need to take her eyes off of Emi, the only one in the room who wasn't gaping at her, to know that she had once again unwillingly become the center of attention. Tohru could already hear the gossip wash through the crowd, and she had to grimace.

"Fiancée?" Shigure echoed slyly, "I'm glad I brought your graduation gifts here then!"

"The glory of the day! The princess is finally betrothed to my younger brother! Dearest brother, for what reason have you not joyfully run into my arms with such news-" Ayame seemed to have more to say, but when Yuki's fist connected with the top of his head, Ayame dropped to the ground and silence filled the room.

Tohru bent over worriedly, but she had to stop fussing and step aside when Emi began to yank on Ayame's long hair.

Shigure held a large box crudely wrapped with what seemed like reused decorative paper out to Yuki. Yuki eyed it suspiciously for a moment before hesitantly reaching over and taking it from Shigure. He shook it a couple of times, baffled by the muffled crinkling sound, before he dared to begin to tear off the wrapping. He took a deep breath and held the box as far from himself and Tohru as he could before he dared to lift the lid off. For a minute, all he could do was stare at the silver strips lying in the box. He lifted one up for inspection and was appalled by the word printed in bold black letters across each little package. Tohru looked over curiously, and a similar bewildered expression crossed her face as well before a faint blush flitted across her features.

"Condoms," Yuki muttered, "You got me a box full of condoms for graduation."

"No, no, no, Yuki! For Tohru-kun too!" Shigure exclaimed wryly.

"Go rot in hell, Shigure."

He was about to throw the box at Shigure, beat him repeatedly with the gift, and possibly try to strangle him with the chain of condoms, but Emi's hand grabbed the strip he was still holding. She beamed brightly, clutching the silvery ribbon tightly in her fists while she waved them around. Emi resumed singing her song as she played with her new shiny toy in delight, making Shigure grin and pat her head proudly. The smile slid off of Tohru's face. Unlike everyone crowded around, neither Tohru nor Yuki found this to be humorous at all. If he weren't so shocked, Yuki might have broken the hand Shigure kept on Emi's brown locks.

"Ca- Con-dem!" Emi squealed.

Yuki gaped at his daughter before glowering at Shigure. He slid the strip of condoms out of her chubby fingers before she could blink. Emi whimpered, but Tohru set Emi down, keeping her as far away from them as possible. Tohru's actions were in vain, for as soon as her shoes touched the tiled floor, Emi raced over to Yuki and jumped up, struggling to get her plaything back, but Yuki didn't seem to notice, not even when Emi was hopping on his shoes. Tohru did notice, however, and swept Emi back into her arms, only to set her back down when she started kicking and whining.

"Do you have any idea how hard it was to teach her how to say _daddy_, and yet you managed to teach her such a foul word so quickly?" Yuki demanded.

"Not quickly! This took a long time, Yuki!" Shigure protested.

"How long have you been showing her condoms?!" Yuki questioned irritably.

"Oh you know… Funny story. A couple of months ago, when she was crawling about, she found a condom…" Shigure trailed off.

"Dear god. It better not have been used," Yuki choked out.

Yuki's hand flew to mouth in disgust as various images of Emi with condoms slithered into his head. As more scenes floated into his head, he was left wondering why he had even trusted Shigure to watch over Emi, even if Hatori was usually with him. This was definitely worse than the maid's outfit. It was times like these that made Yuki question his own sanity. If he weren't going crazy, he didn't deserve to be a father since he had considered Shigure a capable babysitter. Fuming, his fingers curled, aching to form a deadly snare around Shigure's neck. Shifting his gaze to Emi, he repeated her name in his head, a mantra to convince him that murdering Shigure was not worth losing his family and going to jail.

"Hah. No. Of course not. So I, being the intelligent adult, told her it was a balloon, and now she wants to play with them every time she comes over," Shigure chuckled, continuing nonchalantly.

"Alas! A brilliant conclusion wrought by the most genius of men-" Ayame began to prattle but was soon interrupted by Yuki.

"Shigure! I'm going to murder you later! You're the worst babysitter ever! You let her play with condoms? She could choke! And what kind of morals are you teaching her?!" Yuki snapped, only to be cut off by Emi.

"Con-duuum!! Boon!" Emi wailed, stretching her arms out towards the shiny ribbons.

"No, honey. You don't play with con-condoms," Tohru squeaked feebly.

Tohru waved her favorite stuffed mouse in front of Emi in attempt to distract her, but Emi slapped it away, knocking it to the floor ruthlessly. With her head hanging, Tohru hopelessly went to retrieve the mouse plush. Desperately, Tohru searched for something in the room to distract her daughter, but Emi refused to be consoled and rejected everything Tohru tried to give her. Even Tohru was losing her patience at this point, but she had already been annoyed by the adults in the room commenting about her parenting abilities. Her ire was soon replaced by fret when Emi's tiny face scrunched up and turned red, ready to spill tears.

"Boon!" Emi cried, stamping her feet and reaching up impatiently.

"Emi, you like mama's ring, don't you? Want to play with it?" Yuki offered, waving Tohru's hand around.

Mesmerized by the sparkling gem, Emi's attention wavered back to Tohru. The creases instantly smoothed away from her face, erasing all signs of crying. She wobbled over happily and took Tohru's hand into her tiny ones. A wide smile returned to grace her face as she fiddled with Tohru's ring, laughing when the gem reflected the light and bounced glimmering rainbows off its smooth surface. Relieved that Emi was no longer paying any attention to the pack of condoms he had just thrown back at Shigure, Yuki smiled and patted Emi's head.

"Good girl. No more condoms, and daddy will buy you a ring, okay?" Yuki bargained.

Emi whined impatiently, tugging on Tohru's ring herself. The ring, however, was snatched away from Emi, to her dismay, when Uo grabbed Tohru's hand to examine the adornment herself. Emi's smile faded instantly, morphing into a pout as her attempts to get the ring back failed. Huffing irritably, she yanked on the bottoms of Tohru and Uo's dresses, but her cry for attention went unnoticed. As a last resort, she bounced over to her father, but he was too busy glaring at Shigure and eavesdropping on what Uo and Tohru were talking about to do much other than hold her hand.

"Damn, Tohru. That's nice! No wonder you agreed," Uo snickered.  
"That's not why I agreed!" Tohru disagreed.

"Of course not. You agreed because he's a hunk of eye candy," Uo teased.

"That's not it either!" Tohru exclaimed embarrassedly.

Uo nodded, feigning dubiety as she eyed Tohru. Noticing that Yuki's eyes had uneasily slid over to her, Tohru waved her hands around in denial. To Uo's amusement, Tohru panicked further, spouting out gibberish and flailing about as she tried to correct Uo's thinking. Not noticing the glint of humor deep behind Yuki's solemn eyes, Tohru struggled to keep him from second-guessing her love for him. Earnestly, she tried to convey her utter need for him, regardless of her humiliation and incoherency.

Eyeing the hand wrapped around her mother's, Emi reached up and slapped the unwelcomed hand. Startled, Uo dropped Tohru's fingers and stared at Emi's almost ferocious expression, nearly proud of Emi. Tohru, however, was appalled by Emi's actions, but she couldn't even find words to express her feelings or to even question Emi about her violence. Emi almost sounded as if she were growling at Uo. In vain, Emi shoved Uo's legs, trying to move Uo away from her mother. When Uo didn't budge, Emi threw a fit and placed her hands on her hips, mimicking a gesture she had seen Tohru do before.

"Uo-chan! I'm so sorry! Emi has never hit anyone before! Are you okay?" Tohru gasped frantically.

Before Tohru could even lift Uo's hands to check for an injury, Emi's tiny palm came crashing down on Uo's thigh. She frowned at Uo before returning to Tohru and wrapping her arms around Tohru's legs. Her eyebrows knitted together, making her seem ready to cry if anyone dared to take another step towards Tohru. Tohru gaped at Emi, too speechless to reprimand Emi or even to utter another apology to Uo. Emi's trembling bottom lip kept Tohru from being able to lecture her daughter. She pressed Emi's face against her soothingly, but fire continued to burn in Emi's tired eyes.

"My mama!" Emi screeched.

"Emi, no. You don't hit people," Yuki told her firmly.

Emi peered up at him for a moment before beginning to sob. Everyone froze as Emi let out a shriek and wailed at the top of her lungs. Burrowing her face in Tohru's legs, Emi drenched the edge of Tohru's outfit with tears before Tohru could even pick her daughter up. Emi trashed about vehemently in Tohru's arms, kicking her legs and swinging her arms around crankily, ignoring the numerous people she struck. Her face flushed scarlet as her tears landed on Tohru's shoulders, dampening her gown.

"Oh no! Oh no!" Tohru squeaked, "Sorry!"

She bowed apologetically a couple of times before darting out with her sobbing daughter with Yuki trailing close behind her. Outside in the busy parking lot, where nobody seemed to be paying attention to them, Tohru and Yuki comforted Emi, alternating back rubs with pacifying sounds and gentle caresses. After five straight minutes of consoling her daughter, they managed to get the cries to quiet down, but Emi was still whimpering, despite how worn out she appeared to be. Emi nibbled on her knuckles, still shaking as cries raked through her body.

"She's tired," Yuki commented.

Hearing her father's voice, Emi turned towards him and stuck her arms out to him. Yuki smiled and took the child into his arms willingly, and before two whole minutes could pass, Emi was passed out with her head pressed against Yuki's shoulder and her fist in her mouth. Tohru stroked her daughter's head before pulling out her jacket and draping it over Emi's shoulders. Tohru was dismayed to find Emi's eyes surrounded with red rims and a frown etched into her face. Worriedly, Tohru kissed Emi's cheek, managing to squeeze a faint smile from Emi.

"Ready to go?" Yuki asked softly.

Tohru glanced back at the building and the entrance where her family and friends stood, bidding them farewell before she nodded. Wearily, she trod behind him, eager to get home. Her eyes were already drooping by the time they stumbled through the door, but once they arrived in Emi's room, she was wide awake. Tohru leaned over the cradle as Yuki gently laid a slumbering Emi down to sleep. He gingerly tucked the pink blanket around her small frame. Tohru had to gush over his care and admire Emi's peaceful form, her wingless angel.

When Tohru wasn't looking, Yuki approached her from behind and slid his arms around her waist, making her jump a little. Tipping her head backward to meet his eyes, Tohru was startled to find a grave expression across his face.

"Tohru, do you regret anything? Have you regretted this?" Yuki murmured into her ear, gesturing to Emi.

"Of course not! I love Emi-chan! And I love you too," Tohru added shyly before continuing, "I mean… In the beginning, maybe a little. It was difficult, but I'm glad. Emi-chan gave me you."

"I was yours before all of this."

"You never did anything about that before," Tohru pointed out.

"Okay, okay. Emi did give me the courage to confess, and for that, I'm forever grateful," Yuki replied before planting a kiss on her cheek.

Tohru kept her eyes glued to the gentle rise and fall of Emi's chest, struggling in vain to keep a blush from blossoming across her cheeks or at least, keep Yuki from noticing it. Her wish was pointless, for as soon as it popped into her mind, Yuki's finger brushed against her warm cheek, and she could have sworn she heard him laugh before Yuki sighed, plopping his chin down on her shoulder. He watched her flushed skin darkened further. Tohru tried to break out of his hold timidly, but his arms kept her locked there.

"You still blush as if we had just begun dating," Yuki chuckled.

Tohru simpered timidly, still refusing to meet his eyes.

"Who would have guessed? The first girl to have a child as a student in Kaibara High would also be the shiest and most modest girl there too?"

"I-Is that b-bad?" Tohru stuttered nervously.

He simply smiled and shook his head, whether in denial or in disbelief she never found out, for before she could blink, his arms had slithered around her waist and he had pulled her up onto the tips of her toes. The next part she could have guessed, but when his lips crashed into hers, her eyes still widened and there was still her audible gasp. For a moment, her arms hovered awkwardly in the air before they found their resting place around his shoulders as Yuki continued to caress her face with the gentlest kisses. She didn't even realize that she wasn't breathing until he pulled away, and she was left choking for air.

His eyes alarmed her of his panic and concern as she sucked in deep breaths, but that look was soon replaced by amusement when she covered her cheeks in humiliation.

Just as he bent forward to kiss her a second time, Tohru jerked away at the sound of the rattling crib. They both blinked, glancing at each other in confusion before turning to the crib. Emi was standing up, wide awake, and shaking the wooden bars. When she noticed that they were finally looking at her, she stuck her arms up with a delighted squeal. Immediately, Tohru smiled and picked her up, cradling her lovingly, but Yuki turned away and groaned, muttering something about how they wouldn't have any privacy for another seventeen years.

Awake once again, Emi clung to Tohru, locking her legs around Tohru's waist as she settled on Tohru's hip. She stared at Tohru for a moment before peering around the room and furrowing her brow at Yuki, whom she deemed too close to her mother. After swinging her feet and kicking Yuki lightly in the abdomen, Emi buried her face in Tohru's side, possessively gripping Tohru. Yuki's eyes widened at this, taken aback by Emi's actions. Almost guiltily, but not quite, Emi turned away from him, ducking her head under Tohru's arm.

"My mama!" Emi cried.

Noting the hurt frown across Yuki's face, Tohru scolded Emi, "Emi, no hitting, and especially not your daddy. He loves you so much, as much as mommy does, and mommy loves him very much as well, so don't hurt your daddy. Please."

"Don't worry about it, Tohru," Yuki commented as he bent over so that he was at eye level with Emi.

"Emi, don't you love me, your daddy?" he inquired gently.

Emi only responded with a soft, defiant huff.

"Oh well… And I was just considering sharing mommy with you. Now I get to keep mommy all to myself," Yuki teased as he wrapped his arms around Tohru.

Emi scowled her best scowl and flailed her arms, whacking Yuki's nose as she began to cry.

"Yuki!" Tohru halfheartedly scolded him as she tried to console her daughter.

Yuki simply smiled, patting Emi's head. At first she swatted at his hand, but after a minute, she peered up at him through the glistening tears. Noticing her shift, Yuki leaned over and kissed her chubby cheek, chuckling when her small hand flew there in attempt to wipe the kiss away. She stopped protesting when Yuki's arms encircled both her and Tohru in a tight group hug. Soon enough, a grin was blooming across Emi's flushed cheeks. Giggling with her high pitched voice, her hands formed bonds between Yuki and Tohru, locking their shirts together in her fists.

She, however, was unaware that that was completely unnecessary.

Their love nearly formed a palpable link among the three of them, and Emi was just the physical manifestation of their union, forever intermingling Yuki with Tohru, forever the tangible form of Yuki and Tohru's love, and also, their precious treasure for eternity.

---

The next morning, the three of them were awoken by a call from Tohru's grandfather, who immediately questioned them for the whereabouts of his wedding invitation.

**Theeee End :] But not quite. I might post extra scenes and stuff for this story in a collection of oneshots I will make someday. xDD Thank you all for reading this story! **

**Happy Holidays, everyone! And all I want for Christmas is for you to review and correct my silly errors. Please and thank you. **

**I hoped everyone enjoyed this.  
**


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